Velvet and sandpaper
by WelcomeToLolaLand
Summary: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger are as different as velvet and sandpaper, but beyond their differences, prejudice and pressures, and beside themselves, something borns between them in their last year at Hogwarts... Dramione. Being Betaed.
1. Sparkles at platform 9 and 3 4

_I loved this story which is original is written in Spanish by a really famous author in the Spanish Fandom called Dryadeh, it's original title is__**"Lija y terciopelo"**__._

_I started this story a long time ago… at the beginning I had little response to it. My mother tongue isn't English, my grammar is not that good so after like… 15 chapters I realized I needed a Beta, and one of the few readers of the story Mystic Tink, volunteered to help me. _

_So far chapters 1-6 and 17-19 have been beated, the others are in-process. _

_I made the commitment to finish this story, no matter how long it takes me, but I think reviews and interest from the readers are catalysts that help you get in the mood to write and in my case to translate. _

_I hope that if you read this story you'll let me know what you think, if you like it or not. _

_Thanks and enjoy!_

**Author's note:**

I've started publishing this fic on august 2, 2006. I'm conscious that the fic is full of mistakes and things I will like to change but I think at this point it doesn't have any sense. Before you start reading the story there are some thinks you should know:

- The story takes place in the seventh year of Draco and Hermione in Hogwarts.

- The events in "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" haven't take place.

- "Lija y Terciopelo" ("Velvet and sandpaper") was my first longfic so don't be hard to me XD.

**Advertisement:**

I don't let anyone publish my fics in any page. Please if you see it tell me.

**Disclaimer:** All the characters are owned by JK Rowling. And there are some invented by Dryadeh. Enjoy!

"**Velvet and sandpaper"**

"Lija y Terciopelo"

_Chapter 1: Sparkles in platform 9 and__¾ _

(Capitulo 1: Chispas en el andén 9 y ¾)

Furious, Draco distance himself from his father on the platform 9 and ¾ at King's Cross Station in London. The Hogwarts Express waited at his right, where students were saying goodbye at the many doors or helping friends to get their stuff on the train. There was no space left so Draco make his way through violently, hitting, pushing and moving people apart, leaving a track of scared, astonished or angry students to whom occasionally he gifted an _"Out of my way, idiot". _But no one dared to say anything and Draco was sure enough that they wouldn't. Not in vain was he Draco Malfoy, people feared or envied him and he enjoyed that. The arrogant look that appeared on his face was erased when he remembered the discussion with his father and felt the fury increasing in his chest. He tensed his step and in his rage Malfoy didn't even see a girl standing in front of him into whom he crashed, almost making her fall. At the same moment his body impacted with the girl's, he felt a spark, as an electric current crossed him from head to toes and then moved apart repelled by that same energy, like a pair of magnets.

-Watch your step Malfoy- she said softly rubbing her arms. Draco looked up abruptly, still shocked about what had just happened and then he saw her. It took him some seconds to recognize the girl that was standing in front of him looking calm but uncomfortable but when he did, he was astonished. She had grown some inches since the last time he saw her; her brown bushy hair fell halfway down her back, surrounding her face that had sharpened, losing her childish roundness, and the muggle clothes that she wore, especially her jeans, fit her body perfectly which, as Draco could see, had gained new and interesting curves. She had… changed

- Granger – he mumbled still shocked. She looked strangely at him not understanding his expression. Draco, recovering his seriousness, raised his face proudly and then he saw Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley at each side of the girl. Draco watched them and pursed his lips in a grimace of disdain and superiority.

- It is strange that you made it into seventh grade, weasel – he said referring to the redheaded boy, who blushed to the tips of his ears– it was obvious that the bookworm and Potthead, Dumbledore's favourite one, where going to… but I still had a tiny hope that I wouldn't have to deal with blood traitors for one more year…luckily this is the last one.

-You can always return home with your mother, Malfoy – replied Harry dryly- we don't want her to lose her shit for breath face if you're not close to her.

Draco frowned furiously and quickly took out his wand from his robe and pointed it towards Harry. He had done the same and then both of them where front to front with wands up and ready in the middle of platform 9 and ¾ with tense bodies, ready to attack, throwing fire through their eyes.

-Guys, come on, please – started Hermione looking around nervously to see if an adult was near – you could harm someone.

Neither of them appeared to have listened to the girl, too busy watching one another with fury. She twisted her hands nervously and reaching for Harry, she took his free arm.

Harry, we haven't arrived at Hogwarts yet, please don't get into trouble. Here you could harm a student and… - she looked over his shoulder – and there comes Mrs. Weasley, I think she saw you.

At the mention of this, Harry looked at Malfoy for a long moment and finally gave up to his friend's request. Slowly he lowered the wand without breaking eye contact with the Slytherin, whose cold eyes were still on him. Draco continued pointing at him for a few seconds, wondering wether he should throw him a spell, but when he saw Mrs. Weasley was to close, he elegantly hid his wand under his robes and before leaving said:

At least I have a mother, Potter – he threw a last acidic look and disappeared into the multitude.

Hermione who hadn't let go of Harry's arm had to grab him stronger to avoid him following Malfoy ready to punch him in the face in true muggle style.

Is everything all right my dears? – asked Mrs. Weasley reaching them and watching suspiciously.

Harry just let out a growl getting free from Hermione.

Yes Mrs. Weasley – answered the girl quickly and threw Ron a look to warn him to not open his mouth – we should get on the train or we won't find a free compartment.

Hermione said good bye quickly to Mrs. Weasley and, while Harry and Ron did the same, she climbed on the train. Unconsciously looking up and down the corridor in front of her and feeling disappointed at not finding what she was expecting to. She asked herself what was she looking for, and just at that moment the image of a boy with platinum hair and icy eyes swam before her mind, Ron and Harry followed by Ginny climbed to the train after her.

- Lets find a compartment – said Harry, still mad because of the encounter with Malfoy. - We have to go to the prefect compartment and patrol for a while – Hermione said softly as she pointed at Ron – we will join you later.

- Ok – murmured Harry and without another word he walked down the corridor followed by Ginny. Ron sadly observed his friend and sister walking away and then looked at Hermione.

- This time Malfoy crossed the line – he commented, Hermione just kept silent and walked toward the prefect compartment.

The prefect compartment was the last one in Hogwarts Express, with wood-pannelled walls, seats made of black leather and little rosewood tables here and there; also the "P" of the badges stamped everywhere. The two Gryffindors entered the compartment that was almost totally occupied by all the other prefects of Hogwarts. Hermione discovered herself searching carefully for Malfoy and she saw him sitting on a couch with his legs crossed carelessly and his feet resting on a little rosewood table, his sight lost through the window and the wand caught in a fierce grip in his hands. The girl supposed that he was also still mad because of the encounter with Harry. As if he could sense her eyes on him, Malfoy looked at Hermione who instantaneously blushed and averted her eyes.

- Hi Hermione - greeted Ernie McMillan the Hufflepuff with reverence – How was your summer? You've got a good tan.

- Oh, good Ernie. I went with my parents to Marseille – answered Hermione a little distracted and without moving kept an eye on Parkinson who was approaching Malfoy – and how was yours?

Ernie didn't answer, in fact he appeared not to have listened a single word, he was too busy watching her with his mouth slightly opened. Ron with a deadly glare on his face gave Ernie a poke on the shoulder and brought him back to reality.

- What? Eh… ah yeah it was good… really good, yes – he managed to mumbled avoiding Ron's look as he blushed – I think that… I'm going to sit up there with Hannah. I'm glad I saw you Hermione – he added still smiling stupidly. Ron cleared his throat – oh… and you to Ron, of course.

And without another word and redder than a tomato he moved between the seats looking for his friend, Hannah. Hermione turned to Ron with a concerned look.

He was a little bit strange, don't you think?

He has always been stupid – answered Ron angrily.

Some distance from them you don't need this here, it's fine without it… Some distance from them, Draco observed the scene with a frown of disgust. That stupid McMillan had acted like a moron in front of the mudblood. It was true that she had changed, but he could never ever find her attractive, not even interesting, she was an inferior being, a bookworm and a mudblood. On the other hand, Pansy seated by his side and blinking provocatively at him was a more tentative sight. Grinning, he put an arm behind Pansy's shoulders, who happily rest against him, and looked towards the Gryffindor sitting on the seat behind him.

Draco, what are you looking at? –Pansy wanted to know looking at him with shiny eyes.

No one– he answered looking to the window.

What was he looking at, not who Pansy was in silence, thinking that she had asked what was he looking at, not who but she was too happy in the arms of the Slytherin to worry about that.

Hermione walked thoughtfully through the corridors of the Express with a bag of marshmallows filled with love potion. She had confiscated them from some third year girls that were prowling near Harry's compartment. Hermione suspected that they would pretend to give them to him as a present so he would fall in love with one of them, not in vain he had became popular after all his encounters with Voldemort. She raised her face from the bag and saw Draco Malfoy coming out of a compartment with a bunch of chocolate frogs on his hand. She watched him smiled maliciously and the girl suspected that he had taken them from a student abusing his authority as a prefect, a typical thing for Malfoy.

A little girl that must've been a first year accidentally crashed into the Slytherin causing a pair of frogs to fall down. The glare that he threw the girl was enough to burst into tears and Hermione approached them quickly, knowing what was coming.

- Watch you're walking you stupid kid – spat Malfoy – ten points less to your house so you will learn to look where you are going.

- We're not in Hogwarts yet – said Hermione putting an arm around the girl's shoulders to comfort her, she leaned fearfully into the Gryffindor – so you can't take points from her, besides, I think she is a first year, she doesn't even have a house yet.

- Don't tell me what I can and cannot do bookworm, take care of your own business. Shouldn't you be with Potty? I'm sure he must be crying because of what I said about his mother.

Hermione look at him as if she saw him for the first time and her eyes turned sad.

You are so cruel – she said as if this would never stop shocking her.

Oh – he answered pretending to be hurt – you offend me Granger.

Common, I'll take you back to your compartment – said Hermione addressing the little- and they both turned around without looking at the Slytherin again but, when they started walking Hermione saw Crookshanks moving in the opposite direction.

Crookshanks, what are you doing here? – she asked astonished. She thought he must have escaped from Harry's compartment when she had visited him. She bent and called the cat to pick him up but the orange feline passed her by and went towards the Slytherin. Draco stood there looking at the cat and Crookshanks look fiercely at him. Malfoy could swear that the cat with the squashed face was studying and measuring him but he didn't believe that it was possible.

As if he had made his decision, the cat purred softly and rubbed his body in an almost affectionate way against the legs of the boy.

Hermione was astonished watching Crookshanks being nice to a stranger, and furthermore, to Draco Malfoy. Her cat had proved himseldvery capable in judging people and in many occasions he had knew, before her, who were friends and who were enemies. And watching his behavior, she could me sure that Crookshanks liked Malfoy.

Hermione didn't know what to think. First the spark she had felt when Malfoy crashed into her and now Crookshanks was acting in a weird way with him… she shivered and decided that she didn't want to think about that, nervously she approached Malfoy, picked up her cat and without looking at the boy, walked rapidly down the corridor with the little girl by her side. Draco rested his back on the wall of the train and watched her until she disappeared.


	2. Magic Scent

**Chapter 2: Magic scents (Edited)**

**Capitulo II: Esencias mágicas**

Hermione rubbed the orange head of her cat thoughtfully. Around her, her friends talked and looked through the windows of the coach watching Hogwarts draw nearer. Any other year, Hermione would have waited anxiously for her arrival but at that moment she felt too confused and had a strange feeling that she was unable to explain. She rested against the back of the seat and closed her eyes, relaxing. She thought that in a couple of hours she would be sleeping on the soft bed with red curtains in her dormitory, but that would be after the sorting ceremony. She wondered if any of the first year students that she had met that day would be in Gryffindor and suddenly, intruding unpon her thoughts like a bolt, Draco Malfoy's image appeared before her. She pressed her eyelids strongly trying to erase his image, but there it was again and again without a reason. She rubbed her forehead and decided to pay attention to her friends' conversation to distract herself. - Common Harry, you know what Malfoy's like… you shouldn't let him affect you like this – said Ginny's voice calmly. - It's easy to say it – he murmured.

- This time he crossed the line – helped Ron putting a hand on Harry's shoulder to show him support.

- I hate him – spat Harry. For some strange reason Hermione had a hard feeling in her stomach and her friends words lingered in her mind for a while. She didn't say a word until they arrived at Hogwarts and once they were seated at the Gryffindor's table and the Sorting ceremony started, she forgot everything. This was going to be the last year that she would be able to attend the start-of-term feast and the sorting ceremony, because that year she was finishing her studies at Hogwarts. She felt sad just thinking about it and the people she wouldn't see anymore. She knew she would never lose contact with Harry and Ron but… unconsciously her eyes turned towards the Slytherin table until she found Malfoy, who was watching the selection. Pansy was by his side watching him, ignoring the Sorting Hat's song and the students that were sent to her own house. Would she miss Malfoy? Obviously she wouldn't.

The next day, classes started at Hogwarts. It was Hermione, Harry and Ron's last year at school and at the end they would have their final exams, the results of which will determine their future after finishing their studies. Hermione wasn't sure what she wanted to do when the year was over and because of that she was determined to get the highest results in the exams. She started to make studying schedules for Harry, Ron, Neville and everyone who wanted one (or agreed). From the first week, she spent hours in the Library practicing spells and reviewing everything she had learned for the past six years because the finals were global exams.

One afternoon while she was studying in the library she saw Malfoy enter with a bored look on his face. She observed him while he walked through the tables, thinking of the spark she had felt when they crashed on the platform. She had been thinking she should look for information about it but she wasn't sure if there was something useful in the library. As if he felt she was thinking of him, Malfoy put his grey eyes on her and put a malicious smirk on his face. While he approached her, Hermione realized that he had grown more since last year and his body had developed, giving him a more athletic and less childish look. His face was still too pale and thin but, by the popularity he had, girls found him attractive. Hermione raised her head, thinking that the only thing she found interesting about him where his eyes but they were too cold and that make them loose their charm. - Studying for the exams, Granger? – he hissed – its normal for you to start too soon, I suppose you must study harder in order to compensate for your lack of magic. Hermione continue reading, ignoring him. It didn't matter how handsome girls found him, there was no doubt left that he was a complete idiot. - Or you are preparing yourself to be Pince's successor? – he continued – you spend more time in the library than she but personally I think you have more future in Filch's job. If a squib can do it, a filthy little mudblood like you also can. Hermione saw him as she rolled her eyes. She knew that it was best to ignore him and his comments but even though Ron and Harry tried to attack him and she said that he was worthless, inside they hurt her more than she was able to admit. After six years dealing with Malfoy treating her like an inferior and unworthy person, she hadn't become immune. With the fact that she had lost all her concentration and will to study, she closed the book and stood up. She passed near Malfoy without looking at him but in the moment their shoulders made contact she felt the same sparkle from the platform but softer. She didn't know if Draco had felt it because she walked away from the library and from him.

**o0o0o0o**

Hermione opened the _Daily Prophet_ and put it right in front of her face so she wasn't able to see Ron and Lavender enjoying a silent battle with one only muscle of their body. It appeared that they'd decided to retake the relationship or whatever they had had last year and they returned to being Siamese joined at the mouth. It wasn't that it mattered to Hermione especially, but it was irritating that all the day they were involved in their nonverbal dialogues, mainly because whenever she, Ron and Harry tried to maintain a conversation, Lavender appeared asking for "Won-won" and they forgot the subject. By his side, Harry was still dating Ginny. They'd started at the end of last year so Harry had spent the great part of the summer at The Burrow and now they returned to Hogwarts looking as if they were already married. They spend all day together but to Hermione's relief they weren't leeches like Ron and Lavender, so she was able to chat with them without feeling out of place. She was glad for her friends but occasionally she felt alone. Some times she didn't go to the library because she needed to study but because her friends were with their girlfriends and she felt abandoned so she sought refugee in her books. Other days she helped Neville with any spell he had trouble with or she took a walk with Luna Lovegood. Because both girls felt alone they started to become very good friends. They were the opposite sides of the coin; Hermione was the voice of reason, Luna was the voice of… madness but thanks to her friendship Luna was more sensible and Hermione less hard. She also used to sit with Parvati in the common room because she m jfelt abandoned by Lavender every time she saw Won-Won but there were some things they won't talk about, such as, divination. Parvati loved Professor Trelawney and Hermione considered that she was a fraud and because of that they ended up in discussion more than once.

-Is there anything interesting? – asked Parvati while drinking pumpkin juice. Hermione moved her eyes from the Daily Prophet and focused them on her friend who was reading Witch Weekly with a boredlook.

-Well… there is an article about Gringotts and they say a giant has been seen near the Baltic Sea – she commented – what about you?

The most interesting thing that comes is the gift – she said showing Hermione a metallic green little envelope – is a bubblegum with love potion. It says that the person that eats it will be in love with you as long as flavor lasts.

-Stupid – murmured Hermione hastily but Parvati started laughing.

-To whom you will give it? – she asked with interest. Parvati was always trying to know who Hermione liked, she wasn't able to believe that she hadn't look at anyone. Hermione raised an eyebrow but something in Parvati's magazine called her attention. She thought she read the word "Spark".

-Can I see it? – she asked and Parvati agreed with a funny smirk on her face as if she thought that Hermione was interested in the _"15 steps to enchant your charming wizard"_. Below the fifteen steps with bright and colorful letters was a part called "Symptoms of what you have in the cauldron".

"_You will know if our advice has worked if…_

_You look at him and he is not able to hold your look, he is yours!_

_You walk near him and their friends punch him and point at you, he is yours!"_

The article continued with a list of stupid symptoms but the last one, with lots of hearts around it said:

"_And last but not least. If every time you crash or touch you feel sparks, then the boy who is in your cauldron has no intention to come out of it! When sparks come it means your magic scents have recognized each other and this is their way of telling. Definitely that boy is your charming wizard! Your soul-mate!"_

Hermione read one more time the last part feeling how her heart raced, but then she returned the magazine to Parvati with a disdainful look. That magazine was full of nonsense bullshit which, sadly, many girls believed. The proof was evident: she and Malfoy were as opposite to a soul-mates as you could be. They had nothing in common, besides Malfoy hated her and she wasn't crazy for him.

But then, what did those sparks mean? She calmed down by telling herself that there could be many reasons and that probably Malfoy hadn't felt them. Maybe it just meant that they repelled eachother. To calm down she decided to go to the library when she had free time and search in trustworthy books for what could the sparkling mean. So after Charms she said good-bye to Harry and Ron and walked to the library. She picked up some books she thought might be helpful but after a couple of hours reading them she hadn't found anything. She put her elbows on the table, she passed her hands through her hair and closed her eyes.

-Hermione?

The girl opened her eyes to find in front of her a Ravenclaw boy with whom she had Charms, Transfiguration and Magic Runes.

- Hi… Benjamin right?

- Yes – he answered with a radiant smile, as if it made him happy that Hermione knew his name – I hope I'm not bothering you…

- No, you're not bothering me – she interrupted him grateful for the distraction and showed him a seat by her side. Benjamin sat still smiling and Hermione thought that he had a really beautiful smile.

- I wanted to ask you a favor – he murmured a little embarrassed – well, I've seen you in Runes and in Transfiguration, also in Charms and I know you are the best in the class – Hermione blushed a little but say nothing – and the truth is that with classes and quidditch practice I have no time. This year I've been selected as Ravenclaw's captain – he said looking at Hermione's expression, as if trying to see if he had impressed her – what I want to say is that is difficult to handle everything and there are some spells in Charms… and Transfiguration that I don't manage very well… and I was wondering if you… well, could help me… - I would love to help you – she answered, thankful for anything that will distract her from her stupid research. She smiled at Benjamin and never thought of Malfoy and the sparks again.

* * *

_Hey!_

_Here's the second chapter :) it's still a Little boring but since here it will be more and more interesting (well in my opinion XD). There will be more Draco/Hermione moments so I hope you will like them. _

_Kisses and with all my heart, Dry._

Hey!! Lol hope you like the translation please review!! Kisses and hugs, Lola!! :)


	3. The idiot of Dewey

**Chapter 3: The stupid of Dewey **

_Capitulo III : El imbécil de Dewey_

Draco lazily turned another page. Pansy lay on a bottle green couch in front of the boy watching him hopefully. Between them the fire crackled, although it was still only morning there wasn't too much light in Slytherin's Common Room.

Slowly, continuing to devour him with her eyes, Pansy got up from the couch and softly slid, moving her hips, across the dark carpet towards the boy. He barely acknowledged her with a detached glance before returning his attention to the book. With a sonorous sigh Pansy let herself down on the couch's armrest and rested her body against the back of the couch, very close to Draco. The Slytherin turned another page ignoring the girl who softly pressed herself against him and started to lightly kiss his neck, determined to have his attention.

For more than a minute, Draco neither made any move nor showed any reaction to the brunette's kisses, except maybe, in the violence with which he turned the pages. After a while, he clucked his tongue angrily and abruptly stood up almost making Pansy fell to the floor.

Not now Pansy – he said dryly – I'm trying to concentrate.

When he saw the tears coming to her eyes, Draco turned his lips into a disgusted expression and abandoned the Common Room. He walked through the cold and deserted corridors of the dungeons and decided to go to the library, so he could be able to read in peace… but probably some nervous girl would come up to him and try to talk to him with big shiny eyes and a silly smile. He raised his head, congratulating himself on being so irresistible but in fact, that day he wasn't in a fan mood. He had woken up in a very bad mood and he didn't know why. Subconsciously, he thought that he would probably run into Granger there, after all she was a bookworm.

He grinned maliciously. He would annoy her for a while, surely that would put him put him in a better mood.

He looked around the library, searching for a table far enough away so that he'd have peace and quiet, then he spied Hermione sitting at a table in front of an open book and with the end of the quill between her lips. He observed her for a while thinking how to upset her when he saw a boy of their age, brunette and with green eyes approach the table. Draco scrutinized him and saw Ravenclaw's shield on his robes. The boy was familiar but he couldn't figure out why.

He felt a surge of harsh, incontrollable rage expand throughout his body when he saw how he rested a hand on Hermione's table and how he leaned into her and whispered something into her ear. She smiled softly and a little blush appeared in her cheeks. Then she pointed at a shelf and said a few words. The Ravenclaw smiled stupidly and passed a hand through his brown hair before leaving the table backwards so he wouldn't have to stop looking at her. Malfoy almost threw up when he saw the boy crash into a chair and heard Hermione's nervous laugh. Furious, he grabbed a third year girl who was near him by the robes and violently turned her toward him and asked.

Who is that? – He demanded, pointing at the Ravenclaw's face.

Dewey, Benjamin Dewey – The girl explained with a look of terror on her face - He is Ravenclaw's quidditch captain and also a prefect.

Malfoy let her go abruptly without taking his eyes off Dewey and the scared girl ran out of the library. So Dewey, he murmured, he had just remembered why he was familiar. For years they had shared a greenhouse in Herbology but he not longer had that class so he had forgotten him. He had seen him play quidditch on a number of occasions and it seemed that he was popular with the girls, but of course not as much as he was. Draco observed Dewey examining him for a while and he said to himself that that boy wasn't worthy to be his rival, he was a nobody.

His eyes returned to Granger who was concentrating on reading a book and so hadn't noticed his presence. Draco frowned angrily and looked for a table near the girl to leave the book he had been trying to read in the Common Room. A couple of girls put away their notes and quills to make room for him at their desks but Malfoy ignored them and moved to a free table just beside the Gryffindor girl. He sat down and waited some minutes for the perfect moment to bother her. When he saw her stand up distractedly to look for a book, he followed her and stood on the opposite side of the shelf to her, observing without being seen. He watched and followed her from his unseen vantage point behind the shelves, studying the expression of concentration on her face as she searched for the book while, unknown to him, she ignored the fact that he was watching her. Finally she stopped in front of some books, it seemed that she had found what she was looking for but Malfoy was already prepared. When she reached the one he wanted, Malfoy was already pulling it to get it before she did. Hermione watched him surprised for an instant and then with a bored look she grappled with Malfoy for the book.

Leave it Malfoy – she requested irritated but still pulling the book.

Don't even think about it, I picked up this book first, look for another one – he answered feeling a lot better for bothering Granger.

There are no more books! – she answered with a high pitched voice – besides, I don't know why you want the book, you don't study Arithmancy!

I don't have to give you an explanation mudblood – he replied with contempt – I saw it first so let it go and disappear from my sight.

You're such a… - growled the girl unable to find a word bad enough to describe him. Finally she sighed exasperatedly and went away letting the book go so abruptly that Malfoy lost his balance for an instant. He watched her with fury while she stalked away between the shelves to her table but soon he smiled satisfied. He enjoyed making the bookworm mad even more than he enjoyed terrorizing first years.

With the book on his hands he walked proudly towards the desk where she was frantically writing on the parchment determined to ignore him. Draco was going to start to read some of the book when he saw Dewey again approaching the girl's table this time with a mountain of books in his hands. He left them on the table and Hermione lifted her irritated face believing that it was Malfoy, but she smiled sweetly when she saw the Ravenclaw.

- Is something wrong Ben? – she asked kindly, leaving her quill down. Discovering that she used his first name caused a spark of rage to ignite within Malfoy

- You see Hermione… - started the boy touching the nape of his neck a little ashamed – I have trouble with Transfiguration… I've read a thousand books but I still can't manage to use the Mutating charm…

- Oh, it is a little bit complicated, but I learned how to use it in a couple of weeks, if you want I can help you…

- Yes! – exclaimed the boy excitedly, and Hermione blushed a bit and then the Ravenclaw did too – I mean… I would be very grateful if you could help me.

Hermione smiled softly at him and then saw that Draco was observing them.

- Do you want something Malfoy? – she asked happily. Draco pressed the book between his hands until his knuckles turned white and his silver snake shaped ring got inlayed on his skin and without a word he passed them by, not forgetting to punch his body against the Ravenclaw's.

- What the hell? – he heard him say.

Draco threw the book violently on to his desk and sat down full of rage. That stupid Dewey and that filthy little mudblood had definitely ruined his day! He rubbed his temples trying to relax himself, he didn't know why that idiot bookworm was able to infuriate him like that. His father had always taught him that to follow his feelings was a weakness, but that stupid girl almost made him do it/ give in every time he saw her. Why should it matter to him if Dewy acted like a love-struck idiot around her? Like that pompous Ernie Mcmillan or the weasel who for centuries drooled over her. He watched her for some minutes with her head very close to Dewey's talking in whispers and making some wand movements and told himself that she had nothing special. It was true that in the last to years she had changed a lot, specially the last summer but she wasn't gorgeous… well, probably a little so what? That doesn't stop her from being a mudblood, there was no magic blood through her veins, just a common daughter of muggles such as dozens of students in Hogwarts. Maybe she was the best of the class but it was just because she spent most of her life in the library studying the whole day, while he didn't need half of that effort to surpass her…

He sighed, exasperated and annoyed to see how Dewy did anything he could to get close, pretending not to understand and asking her the same thing over and over Draco was sure that he knew how to use the spell but that wouldn't let him be near Hermione. He watch him with disdain, he had never needed to use those dirty tricks.

He couldn't take watching them anymore so he picked up the book and went out of the library with his head held high. Hermione observed him until he disappeared through the door then he turned to Dewey and continued to explain the Mutating Spell.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Draco adjusted the gloves with a serious and concentrated expression. Then he took his broom in his hand and gestured for his team to follow him out of the dressing room. It was his first match as Slytherin's captain but he wasn't nervous. They were facing Ravenclaw and now that Cho Chang had graduated from Hogwarts, Malfoy knew that their new seeker had no chance against him. The rest of the team was also bad and the captain was a complete jerk.

Malfoy ground his teeth, remembering Dewy and his pathetic expression every time Granger was near him. Since the day he found them in the library he discovered that the Ravenclaw passed "casually" by every day when he never used to before. He had also seen him waiting at the dungeons entrance when they had potions to catch Hermione at the end of the class with any nonsense excuse almost all the time about his trouble understanding a spell. Draco didn't understand why he used that technique to call the mudblood's attention cause that made him look like and idiot but on the other hand, he already was one. And the idiot Grander followed him and spent hours with him in the library trying to teach him many charms and spells.

- Dewey if you need personal lessons from a daughter of muggles then you're not worthy to be at Hogwarts – he spat at him once when he found them in the library with their heads almost touching and moving their wands in the air. Dewey looked angrily at him while he stood up abruptly and pointed his wand at him. Draco already had his wand up ready to throw him a curse but Granger reached Dewey's arm and with her eyes begging him she pleaded with him to ignore Malfoy. Dewey's reactions had been slower, but when he looked at the Gryffindor he adopted again his expression of enchantment and they both ignored the Slytherin.

Draco had become furious and since that day he hadn't stopped struggling with the Ravenclaw every time he saw him, making fun of his lack of intelligence and questioning him if the stupidity had to do with a hit from a bludger or he had been born with it. Dewey got angry and puffed up like a balloon fish at every comment, it seemed that he would punch him or throw a curse at him, but at the last second he decided to ignore him making Draco angrier. He suspected that his behavior was because the mudblood had asked him to ignore him and to remember that all of Malfoy's provocation and teasing was unimportant. So Draco's blood boiled every time he saw them.

- Malfoy – called Zabinni's voice bringing him back to the present – what's the matter with you?

Draco realized his mate was staring at him curiously with his almond-shaped eyes. He was dressed in his green Slytherin robes and held his broom in his right hand. He had entered the quidditch team that year as chaser and Crabbe and Goyle were the new beaters. Draco knew that they weren't good enough for quidditch but their physicality/ size and weight meant they could play dirty and though they lacked intelligence, they had enough to beat a bludger.

- Nothing. Let's go – he barely answered leading his team through the tunnel. When they finally arrived to the end that lead to the quidditch field he felt the tickle of expectation that he used to feel at every match that also gave him a bitter taste in his mouth. Revenge.

He watched the excited public that filled the tiers and his eyes moved through the dots dressed in blue looking unconsciously for something. He discovered in the first line, a shape that didn't match with the color of the Ravenclaw's: there was a girl that didn't wear anything blue, just her black robes and her brown and bushy hair. By her side, was that blond and crazy girl, Luna Lovegood.

Draco's expression hardened. Granger had never attended a Slytherin match when they didn't face against Gryffindor. Draco knew immediately that the bookworm went only to watch Dewey and his thirst for revenge grew in a way that when he turned his head towards his team he couldn't see but green spots behind the red mist that covered his eyes.

- Let's finish them – he barked without another word, climbed on his broom and threw himself like an arrow to the middle of the field, were the Ravenclaw team surrounded their captain.

Dewey greeted Draco with a rough nod which Draco did not return, not that the Ravenclaw captain noticed, as his gaze was fixed on the crowd. Malfoy knew he was looking for the filthy little mudblood Granger and blood started to boil inside him. The arrival of Mrs. Hooch calmed down the desire to throw himself at the Ravenclaw keeper. When she asked for the captains to shake hands as requested by protocol, they both did it rigidly and squeezed each other's hand as much as they could, but their faces remained impassive except for the smirk of disdain on the Slytherin's lips. After that the whistle sounded and Draco couldn't resist the opportunity to punch Dewey with the broom when he passed him by.

He flew highly searching for the snitch and give a couple of turns above the field but soon he split his attention between the golden ball and the idiot Dewey who had stopped some of Zabinni and Valey's shots. Slytherin was losing by ten points and Crabbe and Goyle just flew like a pair of lost gorillas looking for the bludgers. When his eyes met Dewey's, the last one smiled triunfantly and mockingly and that was the moment Draco lost all the control he had left. He approached Crabbe and yelled at him to aim all the bludgers at Dewey or if that failed the bat.

- Mafloy! – shouted Zabbini interrupting his orders to Crabbe – the snitch!

It took Draco a few seconds to catch what Zabbini had been saying and when he did, he followed the direction of his gaze and saw Boot, Ravenclaw's seeker, going down after a golden shine. Rapidly he adjusted his hands on the broom's handle and threw himself after the blue spot that Boot was, with the nerves in his throat telling himself how stupid he was. If he hadn't been distracted by Dewey, Boot wouldn't be in front of him. He thought it was too late when he saw Boot extending his arms to catch the snitch but by the time the seeker had already lightly touched it and was about to close his hand around the ball, Draco reached him and give him a blow with his knee that changed the snitch's direction. Before anyone could find out what had happened Draco caught the snitch and stopped with his hand held up in the air and from within his tight fist the wings of the golden ball beat frantically. Immediately the stadium erupted in cheers and hissing but Draco didn't pay attention to them. He searched for the Gryffindor, satisfied because he had beaten her "little friend" but she didn't look at him instead she had her eyes widely opened and fixed on something behind him with an expression of horror on her face. Draco turned and saw Dewey fainted on his broom with arms and legs hanging over it. Belatedly, Crabbe explained proudly that he had taken advantage of Dewey's distraction and when Draco and Boot were fighting for the snitch he hit a bludger towards him that hit his ear and knocked him unconscious.

- What happened to you up there? – Accused Zabbini when they returned to the solid ground of the field, now full of joyful Slytherins – what were you thinking? We almost lost because of you!

Zabbini instead of being happy with the victory appeared to be upset and irritated with Draco because of what had happened. He observed him with scorn and contempt as he arrogantly raised his head. Draco was angry at how Zabbini treated him, acting as though he were the captain and was scolding a clumsy player.

- Shut your mouth Zabbini – spat Draco with a warning look – and remember that as I put you on the team I can take you out of it – and after saying that he walked away, ignoring the Slytherins that congratulated him and Pansy who stretched out her hand to walk with him. He aggressively made his way through the crowd still clutching the snitch in his hand feeling that his moment of victory had been ruined by Zabbini. Only when he saw that they took an unconscious Dewey on a stretcher he was able to smirk. And his smirk became bigger when he saw Granger following the stretcher with a worried look and twisting her hands.

- Poor Granger – he said in a mocking tone – do you think that after the hit he's going to be more stupid? I know it's difficult cause he's already a complete idiot but maybe now they will put him on third year were he should be.

Hermione was determined to follow Dewey's policy so she didn't bother to answer and hurried up to get herself out of his view but Draco wasn't done yet.

- You have such a bad taste Granger – he insisted – first I thought that you liked the weasel but Dewey is almost worse. Without a good –looking face, without intelligence and without talent for quidditch… oh, and probably without an ear after this.

That comment made the Gryffindor to stop abruptly and turn her face slowly towards him. When she did, Draco saw that she was as red as a tomato and that she had tightened her fists.

The only stupid one here is you Malfoy – she spat getting redder – you think you are the best, don't you? I've heard Zabbini. Your own team mates question you and you can only shut them down with warnings, very thoughtful of you Malfoy, I can see that they respect you – she commented with irony – let me tell you something, your life must be very sad indeed to make you enjoy watching Dewey on a stretcher – she looked at him coldly and repeated sharply – very sad – and then went away with her head held high towards Hogwarts.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Draco was still furious for a while after the Gryffindor left him talking alone in the middle of the field. He went straight down to the dungeons before his classmates could arrive and start a party to celebrate the victory because he was not in the mood for a party. He strode through the empty Common Room as an exhalation and slammed the door of his dormitory. He flung his broomstick and practically pulled off the gloves from his hands. Just then he realized that he had kept the snitch, hidden in his closed fist. He threw it against the wall and it would've crashed if the ball hadn't pulled his wings out and started to fly around his room like a horrible insect. Draco passed his hands through his hair messed by the wind feeling an irrepressible rage that he didn't knew how to relieve. He recalled again and again the words of the impure. She had called him stupid and also she had told him that his mates neither respected him nor believed in him. That the only way he could control them was by using dangerous warnings.

On the other hand, she was perfect, he said to himself furiously and she had perfect friends who always supported her. She had no idea what it was like to be him and what it meant. She didn't know what he went through. All she worried about was getting an "Extraordinary" in all her classes and to memorize all the books that were available. She was Saint Potter and bloodtraitor Weasley's friend who both became lions every time someone messed up with her and all her house appreciated her. She was the favorite of almost all the teachers and if it wasn't enough, she had half of school dying for her.

She wasn't pretty and not especially intelligent. All her success was because of the hours she passed in the library, as a bookworm and because she was good with teachers. She always had to answer and know everything. She always had to follow rules. She always had to do what was right. She was a boring nerd without a life beyond books.

"Your life must be very sad indeed to make you enjoy watching Dewey on a stretcher" she had said to him.

Well… Draco would make sure that hers would become an authentic hell.

* * *

_Hey!_

_It's me again! __I hope you like the chapter :) I think it's less boring tan the first two. As you can see Draco had gained a mania with Dewey in a little time… why? Poor Hermione…_

_As always, thank you a lot to all of you that left a review! _

_With all my heart, Dry_

**Thanks to MysticTink I'm editing the chapters. I hope there's someone still reading this…**


	4. Under the mistletoe

**Chapter 4: Under the mistletoe**

_Capitulo IV: Bajo el __muérdago_

Even though Zabbini was acting more arrogant and colder with Draco than usual, he was careful about criticizing him again. Every time a Ravenclaw was near them Crabbe and Goyle recreated the scene where they had hit Benjamin Dewey with the bludger, but Draco didn't find that funny anymore. During Potions he got up with the excuse of looking for some more Doxy powder and when he was near Hermione's cauldron he secretly emptied a bottle of bundimun pus into it and completely ruined her potion. Hermione's cauldron started to smoke, giving off a nasty smell and becoming a horrible brown color. Draco laughed openly with Zabbini when Slughorn showed his disappointment in her because she was unable to prepare the Transmutating potion and he suggested cautiously that she could visit him during the breaks if she had any doubts and if she intended to get an "Outstanding" on her N.E.W.T. Harry and Ron tried to explain to Slughorn why Hermione's potion had turned into this foul-smelling liquid, but he wouldn't hear their reasons. When they left the dungeons Malfoy saw with satisfaction that Hermione's eyes were full of tears.

One afternoon when Malfoy went to the library, accompanied by Pansy (he had asked her to come with him) Draco saw Hermione with Dewey at the same table. He let out a cruel laugh when he realised that she had to repeat every word multiple times, moving her lips clearly so Dewey would be able to understand her. It seemed that the bludger hit had affected the hearing in his left ear. Pansy pointed at them with a silly laugh as she sat close to Draco at a table near the Gryffindor and the Ravenclaw. Dewey hadn't heard their laughs but Hermione had and she looked at them disdainfully before returning her attention to Benjamin.

I don't know why Dewey is with her – said Pansy evily – it's pathetic that a wizard with pure blood like him is showing interest in the most worthless girl at school.

Draco stayed silent, not knowing if Pansy's words made him feel understood or if they offended him. A little upset, he figured that they irritated him but put it down to the fact that he preferred to mess with Granger himself.

Well, Dewey is not a great deal any way… - he commented with disdain. Pansy stared at him for a second as though he had said something improper, but then put on a silly smile and looked at him with shining eyes.

I know – she said looking tenderly at him and speaking to him as though he was three – I didn't try to say that Dewey had something special, after all he isn't handsome and it's not attractive that he is so robust and active, and it's clear he hasn't enough brains to pass without a mudblood's help – she commented scornfuly and Draco understood that Pansy thought he said that because he was jealous of what she said about Dewey. He decided to correct her mistake and shrugged his shoulders indifferently, fixing his eyes again on the Gryffindor.

And she of course is the most insignificant scum that Hogwarts have got. The poor fool, besides being a mudblood is neither graceful nor well kept… even she has realized this and accepts herself as a lost battle, you've just got to look at her hair… - Draco noticed Hermione's frizzy hair falling down her back. It was a brown color but under the light that entered through the library's windows it had a golden shine. Malfoy thought that there was nothing wrong with her hair… - and just look at her face… with those teeth that almost reach her chin and that big mouth… - Draco focused his eyes on the girl's mouth, her teeth hadn't protruded out of her mouth for years. Her lower lip was thicker than the upper one, and when she smiled at Dewey, he could see that she had a beautiful smile. Draco asked himself if he had seen her smiling before, surely he had, but he wasn't able to remember whether he had liked her smile.

…long… Draco… Draco are you listening to me?

Pansy's irritated voice brought him out of his reverie and he abruptly stopped analyzing the Gryffindor to look at her companion. Pansy watched him, offended and a little suspicious.

- What were you thinking? Were you watching her? – she inquired in an accusative tone.

- Who? The mudblood? – he answered with distaste – only someone who fell from the cradle and was hit by several bludgers on the way could find her interesting. She makes me sick– and when he saw Dewey caressing Hermione's cheek he stood up, hardly closing the book – in fact, I find this whole show pathetic and nasty – he said in a loud voice to ensure that Hermione and possibly Dewey could hear him perfectly – I think I'm going to throw up.

Hermione didn't even look at him and acted impassively, but Pansy looked quite satisfied when she followed Malfoy out of the library.

...o0o0o0o0o0o0o...

- Guys, I'll be back in a while – she said putting down the quill she had been using to write her translation of ancient runes and getting up from the armchair where she sat with her friends in the Gryffindor Common Room.

- Where are you going? – asked Ron suspiciously – are you going to meet dumb face again?

Hermione raised her eyes blankly. Ron had started to call Benjamin "dumb face" because of the hours she spent helping him with Charms and Transfiguration.

No, and don't call him that – she answered closing the ink bottle distractedly.

Then, where are you going? You spend too much time with dumb face, that we never get to see your hair, never mind you – continued Ron with the same harsh tone while Harry appeared to be highly fascinated by his book of Defense Against the Dark Arts.

Don't talk nonsense Ron – said a tired Hermione, they had had that conversation about a million times – I'm just helping him for a couple of days, the rest of the time I'm here with you so what you are saying is not true.

And if Harry or I needed your help? – countered Ron, not willing to accept his friend's arguments.

I think both of you can live without me a couple of hours a week – she replied starting to get annoyed – besides, I never complain when you spend hours at quidditch training or talking about quidditch training.

That's different – Ron was full of indignation.

And what about Ginny or Lavender? I never say anything when you spend the whole day with them – replied Hermione looking at Ron with narrowed eyes – I can spend my free hours as I want to and with whom I want to.

And after saying that she left the Common Room with her head held high. Ron was in a horrible mood lately with everything that had to do with Ben and if it wasn't enough, Malfoy wouldn't leave her alone. Since the day of the quidditch match he bothered her every time he could, he insulted her whenever they passed in the corridors or in the Great Hall, and he spent the whole class of Defense Against the Dark Arts messing with her in a low voice that made Pansy let out silly laughs, without Snape saying anything. Hermione was tired of holding her tears back every time she saw him. She decided to ignore him and to not look at him because she was afraid that if she did so, she would see the hate in Malfoy's eyes, and she wouldn't be strong enough to control herself. Malfoy had always hated her but this year he had surpassed his own limits. Every time he saw her, even though Hermione didn't say or do anything, without even looking at him, it was as if his hate for her increased. He walked through the library at least once a week to bother her or Dewey, it seemed that he had lost interest in Harry. Most of his taunts were for her and sometimes for Ron, but he didn't mess with Harry anymore. In fact, after her, his main enemy was Dewey and that was what concerned Hermione the most. She knew Malfoy hated her because she was a mudblood and therefore 'inferior' to him but Dewey belonged to a famous pure blood family and Ravenclaw wasn't especially unfriendly with Slytherin. He had no reason to bother him besides the fact that he was her friend. But she didn't find that motive convincing enough. It made no sense.

When she turned into the entrance to the dungeons, where she was going to talk with Slughorn about the Transmutating potion that Malfoy had ruined, she found him leaning on the wall with Pansy very close to his face. Hermione wasn't sure but she got the impression that Malfoy had seen her before murmuring something to his house mate that made her give out a nervous, yet horrible laugh.

What are you doing here bookworm? – asked Pansy turning to face her and putting her arm around Draco's with an arrogant look – have you come to cry to Slughorn for what happened with your potion?

Draco noticed Hermione looking vaguely through them as though they were insignificant to her. He pursed his lips angrily and put a hand on Pansy's waist and pulled her toward him and watched to see if Hermione would show any reaction. She looked him directly in the eyes, but without any expression or reaction in her own.

At least I have enough talent to take potions Parkinson – replied Hermione cooly. Draco had to repress his laugh when he saw Pansy's face, because last year she had been quite upset when she found out she couldn't continue Potions with him.

Talent? You? – replied the Slytherin, looking at her as if she was a disgusting cockroach – you are just a bookworm with no charm.

Hermione let out a mix between a laugh and a sigh.

My time is too important to waste it with you Parkinson – and holding her head high she walked away with a proud and confident attitude. Draco, however, didn't miss the small detail that her hands had tightened into small, very tight fists.

...o0o0o0o0o0o0o...

Christmas was approaching Hogwarts and with it came the snow that at the beginning of December covered the grounds of the school and the frozen the lake. The castle displayed its typical decorations and in the corridors mistletoe hung was here and there, in the entrance to the library there were some bunches of mistletoe which were especially visible and Mrs. Pince glared disgustedly at them from her table.

The students passed covertly by the mistletoe, hoping that the person they liked would walk under it and they would be able to casually approach them and ask if they were aware of what they were standing under. Hermione, however was unaware of all this, she was only aware of the fact that Christmas's passing meant they were getting closer to N.E.W.T.s. She spent most of her time at the library helping Benjamin or her friends.

Draco went to the library once in a while but he wasn't sure why. It had just become a kind of ritual to pass through there a couple of times per week to bother Granger. As time passed he saw her become more stressed and in the last days she wasn't able to ignore him anymore. She replied hastily to the Slytherin's comments and when she wasn't with Benjamin or with her friends she couldn't control herself, she resignedly allowed it to happen, as if she was sick of it. Draco enjoyed provoking her and watching her explode but what he was sure of (and what worried him the most) was that he found that he went to see her when he knew she was going to be with Dewey. He sat at a table from which he would be able to observe them and watch them unnoticed, though he wasn't sure why he did this. It was as if he wasn't able to read a word knowing that she was a couple of tables away flirting with that stupid Ravenclaw. Since the new decoration was put up he saw how, more than once, Dewey passed under the mistletoe with Hermione and looked at her desperately, but hadn't dared to say anything. Hermione was so immersed in reviewing her lessons that she never noticed anything. Malfoy had laughed to himself and imitated the scene to Pansy until she started looking at him in a way he didn't like at all.

But here he was again, watching the idiot and the bookworm leave. He noticed that that day Dewey had paid special attention to his apperance. He was wearing a neat robe and had combed his hair with grease until his dark hair shined. Draco had the feeling that this time he would be brave enough to kiss her and as he sat at the table which would give him a perfect view, he felt a mixture of mocking anticipation and something he couldn't yet put a name to.

Hermione walked in front of Dewey, looking distractedly at his Charms book and whispering quietly, so Draco knew she was talking to herself and not to the Ravenclaw.

- Hermione – he mumbled weakly. She stopped just under the mistletoe and looked at him once she had finished her paragraph.

- Yes? – she asked when she realized that Dewey wasn't going to say anything even though he had called her.

- Well… you… me… - started the boy hesitantly, twisting his robes – well… hav-have you seen where we are standing?

Hermione looked at him seriously, as if she was worried for his mental health, but just then she looked in the direction of Dewey's nervous gaze and saw the mistletoe hanging over their heads. Because of where he was sitting, Draco was able to see how she blushed deeply at this. Dewey must have taken that as an agreement and slowly and nervously he leaned towards her, as she stayed still, watching him with her eyes wide open. Draco felt his insides twist when he saw Dewey put his mouth on the lips of the Gryffindor and unconsciously squeezed a page of his Potions book. He made himself unfold his fingers and turn his attention to them instead of looking at the unnerving scene before him. He had a really disturbing sensation in his gut which he couldn't name because he never had felt it before. It wasn't revulsion or envy. It was something more… something deeper and something to worry about. When he finally gathered the courage to look at the library's entrance he was in time to see Dewey run away and Hermione stood shocked under it. Draco picked up his book, closing it abruptly and stood up from his place, determined to get out of the library. When he was near the Gryffindor he tried to think of something hurtful to tell her but his mind appeared to be strangely empty of any word, just one image remained there: the one of Granger and Dewey kissing. He shook his head violently and he saw Hermione again, watched him with an uncertain look. Unable to speak, he passed by her side pushing her with his body to move her out of the way and quickly walked away.

...o0o0o0o0o0o0o...

When there was one more week left before Christmas vacations, Hermione decided that she would return home that year, even though at first she had thought of staying because it was her last year at Hogwarts. But the landscape that she saw wasn't very convincing. Ron barely talked to her after he heard Hermione telling Ginny what had happened in the library with Dewey.

Dewey on the other hand, after kissing her he had run away without a word and Hermione was tired of waiting for him to re-appear in the library. And when they met in Charms or Transfiguration, he went as red as a tomato but didn't dare to look at her. Hermione had tried to talk to him but every time she tried he said he had something urgent to do.

Malfoy was something else. Hermione hadn't found out yet why he had looked at her so funny that day in the library and had then shoved her on the way out as though he was mad with her. Besides, he hadn't appeared in the library and Hermione had the strange feeling that he was avoiding her. When she saw him in class he was quiet and sad without his continuous stream of comments, so Parkinson took care of that instead. And the few times she met his eyes, he looked deeply… angry or something like that with her. Hermione didn't know how to describe his eyes, but she knew that nobody had ever looked at her like that before.

_Taran xD_

_That was all. I hope you liked it :) What do you think of Dewey? It's a little bit silly the poor boy xD. Why does he now avoids Hermione? And what happens to Malfoy that is furious because they kissed? Why Pansy sees him with that look he doesn't like? What will happen in Christmas vacations? (I'm trespassing the question limits XD) _

_I admit theories and guesses lol you will liked more the next chapter or at least I hope you will. _

_As always many thanks for the reviews. _


	5. Mudbloods don't float

**Chapter 5: Mudbloods don't float **

_Capitulo V: Los sangre sucia no flotan_

Hermione let out a shriek as she ran through Hogwart's snow covered fields, escaping from two snow balls that Seamus and Dean had bewitched, following in the Weasley twins' tradition. She had tried to stop them with a paralyzing charm, but that had only made them speed up. She mentally cursed Seamus and Dean, they must've bewitched them to repel spells and then increase their speed. Hermione could feel the snow sink and crunch under her feet, her cheeks where red and glowing, and her breath was visible as a vapor against the icy winter air. She began to feel a stabbing pain in her lungs and she found it hard to breathe but she continued to run, until she heard a familiar giggling. She looked to her right, slowing her pace and saw two well known Slytherins: Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy. They both grinned when they saw the Gryffindor running from a pair of bewitched snow balls and suddenly Hermione felt tremendously stupid, of all the Hogwarts students she had to meet, she had to run into those two… she straightened up and tried to behave with all the dignity she could muster, but Pansy just let out a silly laugh pointing at her and saying "Careful Granger! Or those balls may ruin your hair!"

Next to her, Draco just smirked without taking his eyes off Hermione. The mockery she saw in them made her angry, after all the days he had spent looking furiously at her without saying a word, now he was laughing at her again. For a couple of minutes, she just looked at him, his pale face made a stark contrast with his dark robes and the black winter hat that covered his platinum blonde hair. His icy grey eyes matched the snowy covering over the grounds of Hogwarts and Hermione thought that he was pretty handsome. Trying to erase that thought from her head, she focused her honeyed eyes on Pansy who hadn't wiped the stupid mocking smile and look of superiority from her pug-like face. Hermione felt rage run through her veins and without being conscious of what she was doing, started running toward the Slytherin. A scared Pansy, stepped back, fearing that Hermoine would jump at her and began looking for her wand. When she finally reached it and pointed it at Hermione, Hermione instead just kneeled quickly and the snow balls that were chasing her, flew into Parkinson's face, who let out a scream as they hit her. The two snow balls regenerated instantantly and tried to hit her again, but she escaped, running and throwing the "Inmovilus" charm at them.

Hermione got up slowly, resting her hands on her knees and trying to breathe between laughs. She looked at Malfoy and found on his pale face a smirk which was more similar to a smile and she couldn't help but return it. Then, as if he realized at whom he was smiling, he turned serious and looked at her icily as though he was angry again. Hermione pressed her lips together, offended by his reaction. She brushed snow up onto him and spat – Why don't you go after Parkinson? Save her from the snow balls and she'll fall at your feet. - and frowning she walked away through the snow leaving Malfoy behind her.

I don't need to save her to make her fall into my arms, Granger- he hissed arrogantly.

Hermione just snorted and continued walking more and more quickly, too angry to see where she was going and sinking futher into the snow after every stride she took. She heard steps behind her and, when she turned, saw that Malfoy was following her.

Leave me alone Malfoy, I'm not in the mood to hear your stupid talk – she spat angrily before turning her back again and continuing to walk.

Well, well, well… the bookworm is in a bad mood – he answered. By the sound of his voice Hermione knew he was still following her.

How sharp you are Malfoy – she commented ironically – and now do me a favor and stop following me.

She started to descend a hill, barely knowing where she was going but thinking she was getting far from Hogwarts. She knew she should turn around and go back but she didn't want to cross Malfoy. Maybe if she went far enough, he would get tired of chasing her and would leave her alone.

- Are you going to meet Dewey? – asked Malfoy, his voice full of mockery.

The girl didn't answer but continued walking.

- If I were you I wouldn't take another step Granger – said the Slytherin, stopping suddenly.

- Why should I do that? – she inquired, taking larger steps just to do the opposite of what he said.

- Granger… - Malfoy's voice sounded strangled and was that what made Hermione stop abruptly. She slowly turned to look at him and she saw he was some distance away with an expression she couldn't decipher.

- What's wrong? – she asked and was surprised by the high pitched tone of her voice, she was starting to get scared.

- Don't move – he ordered. Hermione frowned, starting to understand that Malfoy just wanted to make fun of her, she looked around but couldn't see anything around her, his eyes were fixed upon her with a weird expression on his face. Clucking her tongue angrily at her silliness, she backed away a few steps, killing him with a look, but then she felt something crack underneath her. Hermione looked down and then understood that for some while she had no longer been walking on snow… but on ice. She was too angry to have noticed that she had entered the lake's frozen surface which, judging by the fine lines around her feet, had started to yield under her weight. She let out a nervous moan without daring to breathe because of the fear of doing it too strong would make the ice break and cause her to sink into the lake's cold waters. She looked at Malfoy with terror in her eyes, unable to speak and asking silently for help. He just looked at her completely tense and immobile, as if he had become an ice sculpture.

- Malfoy – mumbled Hermione with her eyes starting to get wet and her heart beating painfully in her chest – do something… quick…

He blinked a couple of times waking up from his catatonic state and the smirk appeared on his lips, even though it looked tenser.

- Help me – she moaned desperately, sharp ice cracks accompanying her voice.

- Why should I do that? – he asked coldly.

Hermione felt tears coming to her eyes and she couldn't stop herself from blinking and letting them fall down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry in front of Malfoy but she didn't dare move her hands to clean them away. She clenched her fists and inhaled a long, deep breath, feeling like she had started to choke.

Please… you-you ca-can't leave me here… - she moaned full of panic.

No? I don't have to do anything for you mudblood – he replied watching her with disdain, his voice sounded strange – you are a bookworm, aren't you? Do it yourself… if you fell into the water maybe the giant squid will feel pity and it'll rescue you or maybe you could also become part of the lake's legend… whatever it is, I don't care – he ended dryly. Hermione thought that he would walk away immediately without looking at her, to show her how indifferent he was to what could happen to her but Malfoy stayed, watching her for a long time and despite the distance and her crazy nerves, she had the feeling that she saw the ice in his eyes… burning. But the image only lasted for a minute because Malfoy turned with an unusual harshness and started to walk slowly, as if his legs were so heavy that they sank in the snow. She was surprised but that feeling disappeared quickly when she realized that Malfoy was really going to leave her there, alone… to fate and her luck. Desperate, Hermione thought of her possibilities… she didn't know a spell that could help her, even if she was able to get her wand out of her pocket anyway; staying there waiting wouldn't work either because it was clear that Malfoy wasn't going to get help… that just left her with one option, try to walk to the shore, though it looked really far… she breathed deeply and murmured to herself that she was going to be able to reach the shore, she took a slow step. When she put her foot onto the ice it seemed that even the air had stopped moving and she didn't dare to breathe or blink. Nothing happened. Asking herself if it was possible for her heart to leap out of her chest, she let the air in her lungs out. A loud, sharp crack interrupted her exhalation and looking down, she saw that the surface surrounding the foot she had put down was covered with a spiderweb of little cracks that had joined the ones that were already there.

Discouraged she started sobbing, if she took another step she was sure the ice would break and she would fall into the water. She was so scared that she didn't dare to move her eyes from the ice sheet beneath her, if she had done that, she would've seen that Malfoy had stopped walking and had turned back to her with a grimace of rage.

Hermione decided to take another step and risk it again, because staying still wasn't any more secure than trying to move. Taking all the strength she could, she took another step, getting the same result: another crack, this time stronger and the surface near her cracked even more. From her throat came a desperate sound, she felt like drowning and wasn't able to fill her lungs to their full capacity. Fearing the inevitable, but she took another step. This time the cracking sound was deeper and the gaps became larger and the cold liquid below them started to show up between some of them.

Damn it! Stop moving! – spat Malfoy's voice. Overwhelmed, Hermione raised her eyes, she had forgotten him. The blonde was approaching her rapidly and with a deeply annoyed look, as if he was being forced to do something that repulsed him. Hermione didn't know why, but to know that he hadn't abandoned her filled her with something deeper and stronger than relief, which made more tears begin to fall.

Stop crying or we will find out if mudbloods float – he said with disdain but Hermione felt she saw in his eyes a remotely… warm expression? Soon, through her tears she saw Malfoy form into something more than a distant spot as he cautiously approached her and she breathed deeply, to calm down. The tears fell down her pale cheeks to her chin, a couple of them landed on the ice as it began to crack again. Hermione just had time to open her lips before the ice disappeared under her feet and the lake opened darkly to receive her. It was just a matter of time before her trembling body sank in the cold waters. It hurt her skin, freezing her, paralyzing her limbs and not allowing her to move. She just managed to open her eyes and see the only ray of light that could be seen through the completely dark waters, while the last bubbles of breath escaped out of her mouth and floated away to the surface…

Her honey eyes took on a zombied expression, she started to faint, the pain she felt in each pore of her skin reached the limit at which it couldn't feel anything anymore, a placid dreamy feeling started to extend through her body and she started to loose any sensibility and hope for life. At the same moment she thought her lungs would explode, she felt her hair being pulled and began to be aware of her body sliding languidly upwards. Some moments later, she opened her mouth to its full extent in an effort to get some air and at the same time she started to cough and tremble, unable to open her eyes. She didn't know how she had got back onto the surface. She felt a pair of hands grab her by the shoulders and pull her strongly, getting her body out of the water and leaving it on the broken ice. Hermione tried to curl up and hug herself out of instinct to try to fight against the cold that was enveloping her, but again, the hands took her fiercely and pulled her body from the icy surface of the lake, grunting a little as they did so. Hermione felt completely dizzy; when the movements stopped she felt the soft snow under her body. She shrank, shivering and coughing while her head moved and all her body hurt, but she didn't open her eyes until she sensed something was between her and the sun. It was then that she saw Malfoy, leaning on her with his mouth half-open, his icy eyes opened wide and his messy hair, already freed from the black hat, falling into his face, giving him a savage look. For a moment Hermione didn't recognize him and she feared him, but when she heard his voice she knew who he was.

- Definitely don't float… - he commented ironically. If she had had more strength, Hermione would've smiled but she just let out a low sound, as a laugh. A violent cough racked through her again, catching her breath so that she couldn't breathe normally. Malfoy helped her to sit up a bit to make it easier to get more air into her lungs, but Hermione, unable to keep herself up, rested her back against Malfoy's chest while she trembled and he surrounded her instinctively with his arms. Feeling a soft warmth covering her, Hermione closed her eyes and relaxed, getting sleepy.

- Hey… Granger don't go asleep, no… Mudbloo… hey, bookworm, say something… damn it… Her… Hermione…

She resurfaced a little when she heared her name coming from Malfoy's lips, the first time he called her that, and a small smile spread across her mouth without ever opening her eyes. The boy pursed his lips and he shifted around, uncomfortable, his hands trembled a little, but not as much as her body.

I need to take you to Pomfrey… - she heard him murmur. She felt Malfoy remove his cloak and cover her body with it before she drifted into unconsciousness.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hermione sighed and tried to move but her body was sleepy and in pain, as if someone had punched every inch of it. Without opening her eyes, she made a grimace of pain. She felt a weird sensation; she could feel goose bumps all over her skin but at the same time a placid warmth was spreading through her veins and reaching every inch of her frozen body. She felt as though she was burning on the inside and freezing on the outside.

Turning her head a little, she blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes fully. After a moment, she was able to recognize the room she had been in for the past few hours: the Hospital Wing. Soon, memories began to come back to her, making her close her eyes again. The lake, the ice melting under her feet, the frozen waters… and Draco Malfoy helping her… or she had dreamt it? It seemed impossible what had happened but if it wasn't true, how had she gotten to the Hospital Wing? She tried to touch her forehead but her arms were completely stiffened and she could barely move her fingers. Letting out a small moan she turned her face to examine the room. She observed the stone ceiling and then the white curtains near her bed, but a sudden movement to her left made her look towards it. Standing, with his hands behind his back and his eyes lost through the window was Draco Malfoy. Something about his posture made Hermione think he had just walked to the window a few seconds ago. Hermione watched him for a while, hoping that he would say something or at least look at her, but he seemed completely unaware of her presence. She bit her lip and wondered why Malfoy was there. It seemed impossible that he was waiting for her to wake up so that he could see she was ok, but she couldn't find a better explanation… and she also saw that there was no one else, neither Harry nor Ron, not even Madame Pomfrey. Hermione started to think that she was lost in a weird dream, when Malfoy looked at her. On his face there was a strange expression but apart from his increased paleness and the damp obvious in his cloak, there was nothing to suggest he had saved her from the lake. Slowly he walked a couple of steps, but stopped when he was about a meter away from Hermione without looking at her, he seemed to find the little table near her bed were a bottle of red potion laid more interesting. Hermione saw he opened his mouth to say something and secretly, she wished he would say her name again. Uncomfortable with this thought, she felt herself blush and was thankful that Malfoy wasn't watching her. She only dared to look at him when she felt the blush had passed, but he continued without looking at her and without saying a word, it was as if he had run out of words, so she decided to do it herself.

- Malfoy… - she started not knowing exactly what she was going to say.

- Miss Granger! I see you're already awake. – said a soft voice, and Hermione saw Madame Pomfrey approaching her with a worried look – is time to drink what is left of the potion, that will make you feel better – she took the little bottle that Malfoy had been staring at and before Hermione had time to breathe, poured the whole potion into her mouth. She swallowed harshly while Madame Pomfrey covered her with warm blankets and then threw her a disapproving look – what were you doing in the lake? Why on earth would you walk into it?

- I…

- You don't have to answer me, I'm sure I can imagine for myself – and Hermione saw her frowning when she looked at Malfoy – are you still here Mr. Malfoy? I've told you a thousand times that you don't have anything to do here, Miss Granger needs to rest and I'm sure you have more important things to do than watch her while she sleeps.

Draco's whole body tensed, as if he was containing himself, his lips pursed into a grimace of disdain, his cheeks flushed and Hermione saw he grabbed fiercely at his wand beneath his robes. Hermione was caught in a whirl of emotions: fear that Malfoy would attack Madame Pomfrey and a mixture of disconcertment and joy at the nurse's words: Malfoy had been watching her while she slept?

- You have five minutes Mr. Malfoy, after that I will come back and if I see you're still here, I will throw you out myself – said Madame Pomfrey in a severe tone, unaware of his furious reaction. Throwing them a last suspicious look, she walked to her office.

Hermione felt very nervous being alone with Malfoy, he had relaxed a bit but was still wearing that disdainful expression as he looked through the spot were the nurse had disappeared. After a second, Malfoy looked at her face and his icy eyes remind her of all that had happened in the lake and felt the necessity to thank him for what he had done.

Malfoy, I… - she sought for the right way to say it, because she had never imagined that she would ever have to thank Malfoy for anything ...– Thanks for what you did…

He said nothing and looked intensely into her eyes, Hermione thought she saw his icy iris darken as if a shadow passed over them, after that she felt how his eyes travelled down over her face and stopped on… her lips. Hermione felt her nerves extend from her chest into her stomach and her heart started to beat faster. Malfoy stood in the same place, observing her without blinking and she felt she needed to break the heavy silence.

- Why… why did you do it? – she mumbled. Malfoy abruptly lifted his face and turned his head to look somewhere else. When he looked back at her again, his face was a mask that transmitted a cold disdain that made something inside her sink.

- Don't ask for something you'd really prefer not to know, Granger… - he hissed – and don't make the mistake of thinking that I would care if there was one less mudblood in Hogwarts.

- Then why didn't you leave me on the lake? – she asked with the hardest tone she could manage, feeling as though she would cry.

- In future, try to be less stupid if you can Granger… because next time I will sit and watch you drown.

- You haven't answered my question – she repeated stubbornly, concentrating hard, so as not to cry in front of him again.

- Don't tell anyone what happened, make up something… anything… the truth is I don't care, but no word of this… or I'll deny it… and no one will believe you… - he said with a smirk – sweet dreams, Granger…

With a last mocking look at her, Malfoy turned and left the Hospital Wing. Hermione tried to contain the tears, because at that very moment she saw Madame Pomfrey approach her bed.

- Are you ok Miss Granger? – she asked curiously.

- Yes… - she mumbled.

- Finally that boy has left; I hope he didn't bother you… I tried to throw him out a couple… no… a dozen times but he was determined to stay here by your bed – she commented as she put her hand on Hermione's forehead – you are regaining your normal temperature, but what a strange thing, you haven't stopped trembling.

Hermione pressed her lips, she wasn't trembling because of the cold… but because in that moment, more than ever, she knew that she had no idea who Draco Malfoy was… and for the first time, she would like to know…

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

- But… how…

- I already told you Ron – answered Hermione, tiredly – I manage to grab the ice and pull myself out of the lake…

- And you got to the Hospital Wing by yourself? – asked Ginny suspiciously.

- Well… I… Hagrid! – she exclaimed suddenly and for a few seconds she opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water as she thought quickly – he… he found me on my way to the Hospital Wing… he brought me here…

Hermione saw Ginny and Harry share worried looks but they said nothing, Ron instead, wasn't convinced with her answer.

Hermione! – exclaimed a voice near the Hospital Wing's door. Quickly she looked towards it and found Hagrid approaching her with a worried look on his face– how are you? Neville told me that…

-That I'm fine, right? – interrupted Hermione quickly, Hagrid looked slightly confused at her abruptness and she added – I know you were very worried after leaving me here, but I'm fine. Madame Pomfrey says I can soon leave.

Hagrid opened his mouth to speak but he was quite disconcerted and didn't really know what to say.

-Thank Merlin nothing worse happened – she continued with an unconvincing smile.

When she found herself alone again, Hermione asked herself why on earth she had lied to her friends, just because Malfoy had asked her to do so.

_Hey!_

_I specially like this chapter and I hope you too :) Many thanks for the reviews! So… why did Malfoy save her? What do you think about it?_


	6. You don't exist

**Chapter 6: You don't exist**

_Capitulo VI : No existes_

Hermione was able to leave the Hospital Wing the morning after the incident, one day before their Christmas vacation. On her way to the Gryffindor Common Room, she was still thinking of what had happened and the fact that Draco Malfoy had saved her. She didn't understand him but she knew that since he had rescued her, she would never be able to see him again in the same way. She had always thought that he was arrogant and bad-mannered, too selfish to have friends, that he was presumptuous and a liar. She thought that she knew him well, but in the idea she had formed about him, him risking his life to save a mudblood that he especially hated, didn't fit and it unnerved her deeply. Even though she thought about it again and again she couldn't understand it and this time, she had no book to rescue her. During her stay in the Hospital Wing, she could barely sleep, she had so many things in her head and all of them were related to the Slytherin, so she stayed awake thinking of him. The only thing she was sure of, was that she was wrong about him and that maybe, all this time, she had judged him unfairly.

When she returned to the Common Room everyone went quiet and turned to face her, the many students were interested in how she was, distracted her from her thoughts of Malfoy. After a while of evasively answering everyone's questions and giving them a twisted version of what happened on the lake, she retired to her room with the excuse of preparing her trunk because she was leaving to go home in the morning. Once she was in her room she bit her lip, feeling guilty for lying to everybody. It was one thing to tell a little white lie to make a friend feel better or to cover for him with a teacher, but it was another to lie Harry and Ron and to the her whole house just because a Slytherin had asked her to. Anyway, she reminded herself, no one would believe her if she'd told the truth. Malfoy was right.

She lay on her bed, thinking that it was a little bit sad for someone to do something good and think that no one would believe him if he talked about it. But then Malfoy didn't really seem to care. In fact, Hermione had the feeling that he hid himself to make his good deed all the more impressive. It was not proper of him, and from what he had told Hermione, he just thought she was lucky to survive, but she didn´t think that explanation was good enough and she began to see, that even though she would never have believed it, it was possible that Malfoy had something good in him. Something really good underneath that layer of hypocrisy, narcissism and arrogance. Maybe on the inside he was a good person, probably if he hadn´t had a Death Eater for father or if he hadn´t been in Slytherin he might have turned out differently. Maybe he would smile more often, without malice, mockery or irony, just a simple smile.

She found herself wondering what Malfoy's smile would be like, but the reality was that she had only seen smirks on his face. It appeared that he was one of those people that no one was able to make smile. The kind of person that wasn´t able to feel tenderness… but Hermione knew he wasn't like that. She shivered at the memory of him whispering her name before she lost consciousness. He hadn't said Granger, mudblood or bookworm… no. He had said her name and even though it seemed impossible, to Hermione it had never sounded so sweet.

But what was she thinking? She lay in her bed evoking the memory of the sound of his voice as though she was one of those stupid girls that threw silly laughs every time he looked at them. Angry with herself, she stood up and started to prepare her trunk. Luckily during Christmas she wouldn't see him.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0**

Hermione returned to school one day before the beginning of classes. The truth was that Christmas hadn't helped her to forget what had happened. She had been totally distracted and even though she had tried to study and have fun with her parents, her thoughts unconsciously flew to the blonde boy. She hadn't told the truth to her parents either, even though they didn´t know who Draco Malfoy was and what meant to be a Slytherin, but there was something that wouldn't allow her to say it and she didn't know what was it. In a way, what had happened in the lake had became a secret, a secret between a Gryffindor and a Slytherin.

When she entered the castle she surprised herself by throwing nervous glances at her surroundings as if she expected to meet someone unsavoury. When she realised this, she got mad with herself and walked in, with Crookshanks in her arms, to the stairs but as she put her foot on the bottom rung, the cat moved and jumped to the floor.

- Crookshanks – cried Hermione turning to face him but the animal was already leaving the hall. Irritated, Hermione followed her cat and watched, astonished at how it turned right and took the corridor that went into the dungeons. Hermione followed him to see where her cat would turn again. She didn't understand why he ran from her and continued to the dungeons, ignoring her calls. Her cat never disobeyed nor acted in that strange way, but she needed to find him to be able to go with her friends. She followed him for a while and more than once she got lost, but the cat meowed as if he was guiding her somewhere.

- Crookshanks, this is ridiculous, come back now – she growled angrily.

- Granger, what a surprise to see you here – murmured a sickly-sweet voice at the end of the hall. Hermione found Malfoy with Crookshanks at his feet and felt breathless. She was surprised to see him there and something more besides, which she couldn't understand but made her feel expectant and strangely excited.

- Crookshanks ran away – she said in a higher pitched voice than she had expected, Malfoy grinned, and that made Hermione nervous.

- Is that what you would tell Snape if he finds out that you've been hanging around Slytherin's Common Room? – he asked maliciously.

Hermione felt a little disappointed. She didn't know how she had expected her encounter with Malfoy to be, but she had hoped that things would have changed. But it was clear they hadn't.

- Why are you looking at me like that Granger? – he asked sharply – maybe you were expecting that I would asked how your Christmas was? – and he let out a derogative laugh that made Crookshanks return to his master.

-Nothing has changed? – she asked sadly.

Malfoy had spent the damn Christmas vacation wondering why he had saved the filthy little mudblood from drowning in the lake. It would have been easy to walk away and pretend he hadn't seen anything. No one could've blamed him for the accident and there would be one less mudblood in the world. But he didn't do it, and that made him feel weak. If his father found out that he had saved her, he would've used the Cruciatus curse on him to punish him for his weakness. He was a Malfoy and he should hate and finish as many mudbloods as he could, that was his destiny as a pure blood. But her… he hated her. He hated that way she looked at him and made him feel unprotected and vulnerable, he hated how she made him angry without any effort, he hated that she was in his thoughts, even in his dreams. He wanted to make her pay for that.

- What did you expect? – he answered disdainfuly – that after I sa… that… after what happened we were going to be friends? Don't be mistaken, Granger, I don't like you.

He was silent for some moments, enjoying how her lips trembled before she pressed them. He was hurting her, and that made him feel better.

- You are so pathetic, jumping from the chair every time a teacher asks something – he mocked – Don't you realize how irritating and pitiful you are? You always want to know everything and be beyond everyone, demonstrate you are the most intelligent. You always have to be perfect and follow rules, and ensure everyone else follows too. You are like an old grumpy seventy-year-old, scolding everybody and telling them what to do. You think you are good, right? You think you are better than everyone but that is because you don't take your head out of your books to see how sad your life is. Pothead is a '_gentleman_' so he doesn't say it to you… - he grimaced – and the weasel is to cowardly, but neither of them knows how to get rid of you. Potter is with the Weasley girl and Weasley with Brown… and you are left. You are alone Granger. And the only one that likes you is a stupid, brainless idiot who got so many bludgers to the head he can barely say more than five words, and, as if that isn't enough, since he kissed you he has been running from you. I wonder why…

Draco enjoyed the girl's reaction, as if she was shrinking after each word hit her. Her eyes were full of tears and she looked as though she was about to cry, but she blinked fiercely and even though a few tears fell, she smiled.

-I see you've been watching Dewey and me, Malfoy – she replied with a malicious tone that Malfoy had never heard from her – I wonder why you are so interested.

Without looking at him she leaned to grab Crookshanks and turned to leave, but then she stopped.

-And Malfoy – she said, facing him – I think that instead of criticizing my life, you should take a look at yours… maybe it is everything you said but at least I've got friends. Good night.

And after that she left without looking at him again.

When she was sure Malfoy couldn't see her, all her strength evaporated. She squeezed Crookshanks in her arms while she let out a moan and released the lump in her throat that she had been repressing. Crying desperately she ran through the corridors that connected the dungeons with the Great Hall, feeling that everything around her was just an unclear blotch. When she finally reached the hall, she went to the stairs but her eyes were so full of tears that when she realized the black spot near approaching her was a person, she was almost past them.

-Hermione? – asked the voice. She felt a pair of arms surround her shoulders, holding her tightly and she had to blink many times in order to recognize the face that looked at her so worriedly – what's the matter?

-Ben… - she murmured trying to hold the tears and compose herself with a hand – no… nothing happened – but her voice was trembling and she couldn't stop crying.

-What happened? Who did this? – he insisted softly. When she saw his green eyes full of tenderness and worry, Hermione wanted to cry even more. She neded to be alone to calm down because if he continued to ask her and try to console her, she would be lost.

-It's nothing, really – she said trying to free herself from Benjamin to continue climbing the stairs and get to Gryffindor Tower.

-Nothing? – he asked disbelievingly and without letting her go – Hermione… you are crying as if something terrible happened…

And it had been something terrible, she thought sourly, she had never felt so depressed in her life. She had never been insulted that way, with so much anger and hate. He had attacked all her weak points, reminding her she was an insufferable bookworm, whose best friend was a book. And as if that wasn't enough, he had reminded her that her two friends had a partner and she didn't. It was as if he had picked all her worries and weaknesses and threw them into her face, filling them with hate, and from the lips of a person… a person who had saved her life, that made her sick. She had never felt more pathetic.

- Hermio… - Benjamin interrupted abruptly and saw something above Hermione. When she followed his gaze she noticed a figure at the end of the corridor. It was Malfoy.

- You did this, didn't you? – Benjamin spat, leaving Hermione and walking towards Draco with menacingly – You did this to her…

- Oh, and you are the revenging hero, right? – mocked Draco pointing at him with his wand and grinning, but he felt furious. Very furious. The scene he had come upon when he followed Granger to… well, he didn't know what he was going to do, but when he saw her crying in the arms of that stupid Dewey, he felt worse than if a dragon had bit his ass and now he wanted to throw him an Unforgivable curse. The only thing that worried him was that he didn't know if he wanted to do it because he hated the Ravenclaw or because he saw him touching Granger. For a flash instant, a voice inside him told him that one thing was the motive of the other, but he ignored it and came back to the present. Dewey was threatening him with his wand.

- I don't know what you've done to her but I swear that if I see you insulting her again, messing with her or even looking at her I will…

- What? – asked Malfoy, wishing he would give him a reason to use an Avada Kedavra on him.

- Ben, please – mumbled Hermione, she had hurried down and was standing between them, looking at Dewey and showing her back to Malfoy – it doesn't matter, it's worthless. Forget about him…

- Don't protect him, Hermione – murmured Dewey, for once seemingly too furious to follow Hermione's orders.

- Protect me? – spat Draco – Ha! I don't need any mudblood to protect me, you don't scare me. In fact, I'd be surprised if you were able to move your wand and say a spell at the same time…

Dewey practically threw Hermione to the other side and pointing at Malfoy sent a curse flying, but Draco was prepared and threw a Petrificus Totalus at the same time. Neither of the spells reached it's destiny, in fact they appeared to hit an invisible barrier that absorbed them, without leaving anything. They both looked astonished at the Gryffindor, who wasn't crying anymore and had her wand out. She looked coldly at them.

- Thanks for trying to defend me, Benjamin – she said sharply and Draco was satisfied to hear she used his full name instead of just "Ben" – but I can do it myself. And Malfoy, I don't want to see you again in my whole life. I know that that wish is not going to be fulfilled, but I will be satisfied to act as if you don't exist.

And with this, she walked away, picking up Crookshanks and climbing the stairs. Both Dewey and Malfoy looked at Hermione as she disappeared from view, then they saw each other and understood that the moment had gone. Dewey had lost interest in menacing Malfoy, and the latter dropped his wand hand. Without a word, each one walked away in a different direction.

_Hey!_

_What a Christmas welcome does Hermione had lol You can see that even though he saved her, Malfoy hadn't change his mind… his still the same arrogant prat, and I think a little more… why? Hermione is mad at them, what is going to happen? More until the next chapter. _

_Thanks for the reviews! _


	7. Boris the Bewildered

Chapter 7: Boris the Bewildered

_Capitulo VII: Boris el Desconcertado_

Draco entered to the class and searched until he found a head with frizzy brown hair. It was the first time he saw her since what had happened the day before with her and Dewey. He didn't know why he wasn't able to sleep and when he did, he dreamed with Granger crying and he woke up with an anguish sensation in the stomach, that he didn't want to recognize. Whatever he did, he felt a weird and sour feeling that made him felt distracted. He had kissed Pansy for some minutes after the incident but he didn't feel distracted, he had insulted Crabbe and Goyle by their stupidity and that morning, he had scared some first year girls and made them cry, but nothing made him feel better. He was experimenting a new sensation that, of course, he wasn't enjoying, and he thought it had to do with the bookworm.

He entered the classroom talking loudly with Zabini to be noticed, but Hermione who was backward, didn't pay attention. He sat behind her and opened roughly his book, but the Gryffindor didn't move a hair and she started to talk with her friends and to laugh loudly about something the weasel had said. Draco saw the three of them with hate in the same instant Slughorn, with his round belly, entered the class.

Good morning students – he greeted them joyfully, he was quite cheerful that day – today I have something special planned for you… the potion "Amichicus", I think you will like it, does someone knows what is this potion about?

Surprisingly Hermione didn't raise her hand. Slughorn and her classmates looked at her as if they thought she was ill or something, but she just look at her book without saying anything. Behind her, Draco smirked. He knew that if Granger wasn't answering was because he had criticized her for that the day before. He felt satisfied, but soon enough that sour sensation appeared to ruin his humor, what the hell was that?

- Miss Granger, do you know the answer? – Slughorn asked her smiling again.

- Well… the Amichicus is a potion of friendship, it makes people that drinks it forget their differences and be friends again… or by first time – she added with a strange tone in her voice. She normally answered with enthusiasm and efficiency, but this time it seemed that she wasn't interested in the potion and its effects. Everyone noticed that and stared at her as if they could find something in her face that will give them an explanation.

- Perfect! – exclaimed Slughorn breaking the tension – 10 points for Gryffindor! And now… - he continued rubbing his fatty hands – I'm going to propose something different because of this potion. You'll see, because it is a friendship potion and you always work with your friends today you will have different partners. So, at the end of the class maybe you won't need the potion to have a new friend – and he smiled radiantly as if he had said something very intelligent but all in the class were watching themselves with speculation. In potions there were a few Gryffindors and Slytherins, Ernie McMillan from Hufflepuff and Terry Boot from Ravenclaw. It was evident that neither the Gryffindors nor the Slytherins wished to be paired together, so Slughorn talked again.

- Move, move, I'll do the pairs myself. Let's see… - he said thinking – Harry you will go with Blaise; Nott with Weasley… and… my sweet Hermione you with… Malfoy… - and he continued pairing the group. Zabbini had already moved angrily near Harry so the seat next to Draco was free, he observed the Gryffindor with satisfaction, knowing that she will be very pissed by being with him. No matter how hard she wanted him not to exist, he did.

-Professor? – Hermione was standing with her backpack on one hand and the cauldron on the other – if you don't mind I will prefer not to work with him.

And at the stunned looks of her classmates, Hermione went to sit nex to Ernie McMillan without waiting Slughorn's answer. Draco was full of anger when he saw Ernie's dumb expression when Hermione sat by his side, he blew up like a peacock. Draco had to contain himself from throwing up when he heard Ernie talk:

I hope this doesn't mean we are not friends.

No Ernie – answered Hermione, but he could hear a boring tone in her voice – it just means that in this class there are some persons with whom I don't want to have any relation.

Ernie was suddenly disappointed, but Draco was full of anger. How does that filthy mudblood dare to reject him? Draco didn't notice when Terry Boot sat at his side, because he was occupied throwing Hermione killer looks that she didn't appear to notice. During the rest of the class, he tried to concentrate with the ingredients of the stupid potion but it was impossible. He was too angry because she had dared to reject him, _she_ rejected _him_, a mudblood a Malfoy. He said to himself that he didn't wanted to sit with her but didn't avoid him of making dust the roots instead of cutting them. Terry Boot wasn't helping either, because after Slytherin won the quidditch match and that his captain was injured, he hate him. The result was that neither of them spoke more than three words to each other for the whole two hours that the class last, and when Slughorn said the class was finished, they both stood up without saying good bye.

Draco immediately searched for Hermione and he found her talking with McMillan, who was laughing pompously.

Granger, I wanted to thank you for freeing myself of your company – he spitted with rage but she let out a loud laugh, ignoring him completely, cause Ernie had said something quite funny.

Can you believe it? – asked McMillan who hadn't noticed the Slytherin either, he was to concentrated in Hermione, and she laugh again. Draco felt completely ignored and out of place, and he wanted to shut up that bookworm but finally, he turned away before he was able to kill somebody.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

During the following days, Draco moved by Hogwarts as a basilisc. He was specially cruel as a prefect, he made many students cry, he confiscated as many personal stuff's as he could, he took off points of every Gryffindor that was near him and he even watched a fight between third years encouragingly, but nothing appeared to heal his fury. It wasn't a surprise though he felt angrier as each day passed.

Hermione, as in the last Potion's class, ignored him completely. Many times she had ignored offensive comments and mockery, but Draco knew that it bothered her, but now when he said something she ignored him and started talking with whoever was near her. She don't even looked at him when he passed nearby or when he insulted Potter or Weasley. Draco had gone to the library to sit where she was studying and bother her but she closed her book, stood up and abandoned the library without looking at him.

The only thing that consoles the Slytherin was that for Dewey wasn't any better because after what had happened, the boy didn't approach her and when he did, the Gryffindor was distant but polite. But beyond that, Draco was still in a very bad mood and he didn't know what to do to fight with the bookworm. Insult or disturb her wasn't giving any results, so Draco passed hours thinking how to upset her until he got obsessed with it. At the beginning, he had insulted her infront of Pansy, and she had sat on his lap, happy to criticize the Gryffindor with him, but after some days, she clicked her tongue with irritation every time Draco mentioned her, so he stop doing it, and also being with her. He didn't handle being with people and he treated everyone bad as if it was their fault he was angry. Only Crabbe and Goyle dared to be with him, but that was because they were to stupid to be affected by Draco's comments.

There were many plans on his head of how to bother her, but he couldn't test anything yet. When he didn't find her on the library, he walked threw Hogwarts with hope in finding her, or at least to be alone and think. In the Common Room was a little bit complicated because Pansy was always looking for him and Crabbe and Goyle couldn't be left alone, so with this little walks he was able to have peace with the excuse of being patrolling as a Prefect. At last, a couple of weeks later when he turned into a corridor of the fifth floor, he saw Granger's shape and decided to follow her. He observed how the girl stopped near the statue of Boris the Bewildered, a wizard with a lost face and many clothes out of place, and whispered the password. Draco hide behind an armor before she looked to both sides of the corridor and walked threw the entry the statue had left. Just when he heard the snap of the statue regaining its place, he came out of his hiding with a malicious smile. It was the Prefect's bath.

Draco usally didn't use it because there was another one in the second floor that was closer to the dungeons, but he knew the password. He felt how his heartbeat raised and his stomach fill expectation, and for the first time in weeks he felt well. He would catch Granger in the bath and once locked in there, she won't be able to ignore him anymore.

With a calculating expression, he approached Boris and murmured "Banshee song". Immediately the statue moved apart and emerged the entry in which a minute ago Granger had walked and Draco crossed it filling how the wall closed behind him.

Hermione was there, covered by a towel and kneeled near a golden faucet of the big tub. She looked at him with a terrorized and blushed expression. Malfoy examined her from head to toes, watching her elbow's curves and his delicate ankles.

- What are you doing here Malfoy? – she asked in a high pitched voice while trying to cover more herself with the towel.

- Don't bother to cover yourself Granger – replied Draco, feeling how the pleasure of disturbing the Gryffindor was filling him, relaxing his body and making him smile – there is nothing interesting to see.

- Go away! – she yelled standing on her feet and picking up her wand to point him still pressing the towel to her chest. She appeared to be so furious that Draco didn't doubt that she would attack him.

- This is the Prefect's bath Granger, I can be here – he replied without caring of her wand.

- Of course you can be here, but not when there is a prefect in it – answered Hermione, her hand trembled with rage against the wand.

- Well, if I don't exist for you, I don't see the problem of me being here – he said sharply – just ignore me as you have been doing these days.

Hermione was about to cry by the rage, but her eyes were dry and cold. Slowly, she relaxed her bodu and lowered the wand; she picked up her robes and clothes and walked away to the entry as if Draco wasn't there. The Slytherin was angry, so he put his body between the girl and the exit, so the girl was forced to look at him.

If you are so interested on being here, stay – the said trying to move him apart.

I don't know why you bother yourself and come here Granger – he said leaning towards her making the girl back some steps nervously – no matter how many times you bath, you cannot take your impure smell.

You can always smell worse – she replied – for example… to rotten.

Draco reacted to these words as if he had been punched in the face, his grey eyes turned cold, and he raised his hands towards the girl. He grabbed her by her nude shoulders until she let out a painful moan, but Hermione didn't complain nor moved.

I dare you to repeat that – he challenged her but the girl remained silent holding his gaze – Mi family dominated magic many time before your first ancestor learned how to light up a candle. I come from a pure linage that had passed from one generation to another without mixing up with any muggle or…

So what? – she interrupt him unimpressed – that makes you better than anyone else? Because I might be wrong but from what I know you're neither the best student in this school in none of the signatures nor in the best quidditch player. You don't have more magic talent than any student in Hogwarts not matter how important your ancestors were – and she added in a strange sad tone – and your are much more bad person that none of them. I'm thankful because you saved me in the lake but I don't want to have nothing to do with you.

After that she moved Draco apart and walked out of the bath, taking only a white towel but with her face proudly raised as if she was dressed with silk and gold. Draco stood there feeling a stab if pain in the chest that he didn't like but soon turned in pure anger. She had rejected him in all the possible ways, well, now he will do it. He had a plan.

_

* * *

_

Hey

_How was the chapter? __Do you liked it? I hope so… as you see Hermione had tried to ignore him but it's not easy XD and he is such in a bad mood… personally if I met Draco in the prefect's bath, I wouldn't have run away hahaha but Hermione is quite hurt… and Draco very pissed. How about that plan he has? I think you will be surprised in the next chapter, or at least I hope so. As always speculations are welcome lol_

_Thanks a lot for the reviews, they make me hallucinate :) _

Hey! SORRY!! I'm really really sorry I'm this late but I've got a LOT of homework and there is no time to translate :S but I hope I'm going to be able to update soon! Kisses! And thanks for the reviews!!


	8. Do you like to see?

Chapter 8: Do you like to see?

_Capitulo VIII ¿te gusta mirar?_

Hermione closed her book of Defense Against the Dark Arts and standing from the chair, leaned to put it inside her back pack. She closed the zipper and when she was about to hang it on her elbow she saw a little rolled parchment near one of the desk's leg. Hermione took a look of her surroundings to be sure that no one was observing her and furtively pick up the paper keeping it in her hand. Leaning a bit more to hide her hands, Hermione nervously unfolded the parchment and she could read some words: "Third door, near the painting of the dogs playing chess, in the left corridor of the fifth floor. In 20 minutes." Hermione turned the note but there was nothing more, no one signed it. Who wrote it? It was sent to her or she had founded it for accident? Hermione didn't know why but she knew it was for her. She bit her low lip thinking on the message. Whoever had wrote that note must be in the class in that very moment and know what she was going to do in the next free hour. She look around to find someone looking at her suspiciously but everyone was busy picking up their things and some like Malfoy, Parkinson and Zabinni were already leaving the class. It was clear that if she wanted to know who had sent the note and what he or she wanted, she must go to the appointment. Could it have been Dewey? Hermione observed him but the boy didn't act in a suspicious way that confirmed her theory and in the other hand, his letter didn't look like the one in the note.

Hermione? – a voice called her. Abruptly, Hermione hid the note in her backpack's pocket before hanging it in her shoulders and face Ron – Harry and I are going to see Hagrid, are you coming?

Er… mmm… no… I can't… because… I have to go to the library – she invented – to search for a work for professor Vector. But say hi from me… we… see you in Herbology, bye.

And before Harry or Ron could say something, the girl was leaving the class. Hermione accelerate her step while she was leaving the dungeons looking her watch, it had passed five minutes since she received the note. While she was heading the third floor, she tighten her fists to stop the trembling and nervousness that was filling her stomach, scolding herself for attending to the appointment. She didn't know who had called her or what he or she wanted and besides she had lied to her friends and didn't know why. More than once she felt the necessity to turn away and leave to Hagrid's cabin, but finally she found herself in the fifth floor counting the doors until she found the third one that was situated near a painting were some dogs were sleeping and snoring beneath a chess table. She stopped there, watching both endings of the corridor if someone came from there, but time passed and no one came. She examined her watch for fourth time, seeing that it was already many minutes late from the hour. Feeling completely stupid she decided to go and join Ron and Harry but just then she hear a noise behind the door in which she waited, maybe the one that had CITAR her was waiting inside. The girl closed her eyes for a moment and breath deeply before opening it. Hermione felt as if a MAZO had hit her when she saw the two persons inside the empty room. Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy were resting in the wall, he hold the girl's chin and they were kissing as if their lives depended on it.

Hermione let out a stifled moan and wanted to run away from there before they could see her, but she wasn't able to move and her hand felt numbed in the handle of the door. A silly laugh made her realized that Parkinson and Malfoy had broken apart and were looking at her. The girl with a malicious smile of superiority as if she was convinced that Hermione would love to be in her place, and the boy, with sufficiency and mockery.

Do you like to see Granger? – asked the boy with evil. In that moment Hermione felt she had regained the control over her body and killing them both with her gaze she closed the door with fury, leaving them alone. She left with big steps with the energy that fury gave her, she didn't remember of being that furious since… never… what the hell was happening? Who had had interest of her finding those two snogging? It must have been one of them, but why? The only thing they've achieved was that she felt ridiculous, ashamed and furious… was she feeling… jealous? She saw again and again the image of Malfoy holding the Slytherin's chin and kissing her with passion… she hoped that won't affect her or at least it will make her sick… but not that sensation that was burning her from the inside. She wanted to slap them both, or better, throw them a Bat-bogey Hex that had made Ginny very famous or even use a Petrificus on them… she was so deep in her thoughts that she forgot to jumped the fake step and fall to the floor feeling even more stupid. When she tried to stand, she noticed that one of her feet was trapped and that make her want to cry of rage or laugh hysterically. To finish the tale, when she looked up, Malfoy was leaning seductively near the stairs. He had the head tilted to one side with some locks of blond hair falling in his pale face and cold eyes; a sarcastic smirk on it.

- Didn't they told you that spying is not very polite Granger? – asked Draco looking at her without erasing his ironic smirk – because if you do so, maybe you'll see things you would've prefer not to.

- Don't be ridiculous – she spit with bitterness while she tried to free her foot unsuccessfully – I wasn't spying you Malfoy, and of course, it wasn't my intention to find your hideout…

- Now you know where I take my conquers, would you like to be one of them Granger? – she asked with sickly-sweet voice while he descend the stairs. The girl started to feel more nervous and pulled her foot until it hurt, avoiding to look at him and determined to ignore him.

- You don't answer bookworm? – he insisted reaching her and kneeling to be at the girl's height. Hermione pressed her lips forcefully not wanting to cry, she felt pathetic, furious and deeply unhappy, she only wanted to run away, but she was trapped near the person who she hated the most.

- You don't dare to look at me? You are afraid to betray yourself? – he continued calmly, examining her with his gaze – would you like to take Pansy's place? Would you like me to kiss you… Hermione? – he whispered near Hermione's ear. A couple of tears escaped from the girl's eyes, who cleaned them quickly with shaky hands. With each word Malfoy said she felt more tears in her eyes and wanted to disappear, she felt humiliated and pathetic… and at the same time tense and aware of the proximity of the Slytherin's body to hers and she experimented a sensation of desire until that moment unknown… what was she waiting with desperation? That he would… kiss her?

- You are not ugly – he continued whispering with sweet voice near her ear – the only problem is… - he turned her face toward Hermione until they were only few centimeters apart – that… - the breath that escaped from his lips licked the girl's – you make me sick mudblood… - he finished turning his lips into a grimace. Hermione saw him with tearful eyes and by some instants they only observed each other in silence. Just in that moment, Hermione managed to free his foot and raising abruptly she turned and left running threw the stairs between sobs and tears. Draco stayed there, immobile no signs of his disdain look, observing the spot in which the girl had disappeared, in fact, in that moment he looked like an unlucky and downhearted boy, someone perhaps… tortured.

-Draco...- called him a female voice from the top of the staircase. He reacted to this voice changing his face and adopting an expression of arrogance and satisfaction. The one who climbed the stairs to join the girl, was an authentic Malfoy.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione entered to the Common Room still running and without stopping to see who was there. In fact, the tears didn't let her see anything, only vague blurred images that guided her not to stumble into something. She heard a couple of voices that were calling her, but she didn't stopped and climbed the stairs that led to the girl's dormitories. She opened the door and after closing it she throw herself to the bed hiding her wet face in her arms. It had been so long or maybe her whole life, since she had felt that unfortunate. Again and again Malfoy's words came to her mind: "You make me sick mudblood" and his grimace… it wasn't the first time he talk to her like that but until that moment she hadn't gave importance to his comments or at least she had denied it to herself. But not now…

If she made him sick then why he hadn't left her in the lake? Was there really a moment in which he hold her in his arms or were they just hallucinations of her weak state? She didn't understand Malfoy or herself. Lately everything that he said, even that he looked at her when they met at the corridors affected and disturbed her. She piled up every look and every word, and that comfort her in the inside, what does that meant?

Bookworm, he used to say, she had answers for everything but she felt completely ignorant when it was about him and that disturbed her. Definitely Malfoy made her nervous… and for the moment, that was all she was sure of.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Draco observed Hermione while she entered the class of Defense Against the Dark Arts with the head down following Potter and Weasley. The girl had her eyes fixed on the floor and her messy brown her covered her face, but the Slytherin could see her swollen eyes, as if she hadn't slept or cried the whole night. Pansy, sit by his side, also perceived it and in his face appeared a malicious smile. Draco force himself to put the usual smirk he used instead of a smile and fixed his eyes in the Gryffindor while she sat with her friends.

- Poor Granger – said Pansy in a loud voice making sure that everybody was able to hear her from over the tumult of students sitting and entering the class – you looked as if you passed the night crying, does your foot hurts?

Draco had to bit his lips to stop himself of shutting Pansy's mouth. Everyone in the room turned to see Hermione, who only sink more in her seat as if she wanted to disappear. The hair covered her face but by the slight tremble that agitated her shoulders, Malfoy knew that the girl was crying and for his concern he didn't felt happy for that.

Pansy looked Draco proud of herself waiting a smile of satisfaction from him and for second time he fake a smirk slightly similar to a smile that made the Slytherin let out a soft laugh. Then, he turned his eyes to the Gryffindor and a strange thought crossed the boy's mind, he found himself asking how his laugh will sound like. As if Hermione had felt the boys eyes in his back, she turned slowly and unsure meeting with his gaze. Even though she returned quickly to face the front, during the few seconds their eyes met, Draco could read in hers pain by the tears and he knew she was crying because of him.

Malfoy felt a horrible sensation expanding inside him, angry with himself he crumple a piece of parchment until his knuckles turned white and the silver ring inlayed in his skin. For the rest of the class, he could barely hear Snape, he couldn't move his eyes from Granger and when he perceived a slight tremble from her thin body or he heard her sniffs, he felt a bitter sensation in his throat, as if every second he looked at her, his interest in life was dying. He wanted to leave, stop looking at her, take her out of his mind… but that seemed impossible.

Pansy observed him a bit concerned and surprised by the boy's behavior that barely answered when she talked to him and was a little bit serious. She asked several times what happened to him, but he didn't answer, he only looked with irritation at her for a few seconds and then she forgot about her again.

When finally Snape ended the class, Draco couldn't ignore the fact that Hermione preferred to make a detour to exit the class before being near him, and not knowing why, that made him felt disappointed.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Hey_

_Here you have the next part hahaha do you liked Draco's plan of revenge? Personally, if I were Hermione and found him in that situation, I'll probably leave too but I will close with a slam and if he followed me, I'll kick his butt XD but he was very cruel once more… the poor Hermione is always having bad times because of him, but the problem is that when Draco hurts her it appears that he hurts himself too… what does that means?_

_Thank you for the reviews! I hope you like the chap._

_Kisses!!_

Hey! Well… I updated soon because I had time to translate. Thank you for the reviews. I'll try too put soon another chapter. Kisses! Lola.


	9. Vicky Krum

Chapter 9: Vicky Krum

_Capitulo IX : Vicky Krum_

After what happened when she found Malfoy and Parkinson kissing, Hermione felt more depressed than ever. As much as she tried to convince herself that she didn't care, on the inside, she knew it wasn't like that. It had been very hard for her to recognize that little by little, and apparently with no reason, she had fall in love with Draco Malfoy. She didn't know since when, but sometimes she asked herself if she had been in love with him secretly since the first time she saw him. That would explain why his comments had always hurt her and even she "hated" him, she gave importance to everything he said. What she didn't understand was what he saw in him. She couldn't deny he was quite handsome and that he had something, maybe in his gaze, that would've made anyone loose her mind, but Hermione wasn't one of those. She didn't let herself blind for beauty, and before knowing Malfoy, she would put her hand on fire that she never will felt attracted to someone like him. That's why she asked herself, again and again, what that had happened to her.

It was true that he had saved her in the lake but after that, he had taken care in make her believe that there was nothing good in him. Hermione didn't know yet why he had helped her, but the motive, wasn't kind. Maybe, he thought that if she died he wouldn't have anyone to disturb and make their life impossible.

Maybe dying should have been a good and simple way to escape from him.

**o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione opened her eyes and sigh angrily, it was useless. She wasn't capable of sleep since the moment she realized her feelings. Tired of rolling in the bed, she decided to get up and use her time wisely. She put her red dressing gown and taking her Runes book, she went silently out of her room to not wake her roommates. She tiptoed into the Common Room and sat in a couch in front of the chimney. She opened the book and went to the chapter of Archaic Symbols and tried to concentrate on the reading. She read a couple of paragraphs, but in the third line of the fifth, she saw the image of Malfoy kissing Pansy on her mind. Sighing, she closed the book.

It had been a long time since she was able to concentrate. She had had to repeat an essay for Snape like five times because she lost in her thoughts and forget what she was writing and didn't know how to continue. In Potions, she had had worse results than when Malfoy had ruined her potion, because her mind was somewhere else and she mixed ingredients. And you could say that it was the same in the other subjects. She wasn't able to concentrate with her friends, because even though she tried to pay attention to the conversations, soon she was deep in her thoughts and one of them pinched her or gave her a nudge, along with a "Hermione are you listening?", that brought her back to reality.

Also her appetite had been affected by the Slytherin. Even though she went to the Great Hall with hunger, when she sat on the table and ate two bites, her stomach closed completely. She suspected it was because some tables far away, Malfoy was whispering things in Parkinson's ear.

All of it went wrong not only in her academic results, but in her physic too. In the last couple of weeks she had lost some weight and had big permanent circles under her eyes. Harry and Ron had asked her a hundred times if it was something wrong with her, but the girl had answered with evasives because she never considered telling them that she had fall in love with Malfoy. Luna Lovegood by the other side thought that Hermione had swollen a black zarabrand.

- So you are here again – said a female voice that startled her. Hermione raise her face and found Ginny's in front of her, rubbing her eyes.

- What are you doing awake? – asked Hermione.

- I woke up to go to the bathroom and saw you going down the stairs – explained the girl yawning deeply while she seated in the couch in front of Hermione – and I want to talk with you.

- About what? – inquired Hermione pressing the Runes book nervously in her hands.

- Well I think you already know – replied Ginny with a suspicious look – Harry asked me to talk to you, he is worried, as all of us are. I know something is wrong Hermione, but I also know there is something that you don't want to talk with Harry or Ron. I think neither with me and I won't insist for you to do so. But I'll just suggest you, that whatever it is or happens, talk with somebody.

Hermione went silent. Maybe Ginny was right.

**o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione entered the owlery with a thick parchment in her right hand. She passed one hand on her tired and dry eyes, she had passed the whole night crying and now they sting. Her hand pressed softly the parchment while she seek Hedwig. Harry had lend it to her to send a letter. When she found it, Hermione stroked its feathers and it ululated making the girl show a sad smile. After that, she watched the parchment still doubting if she should send it. That night, after talking with Ginny, she decided to write a letter to Viktor because that month she had been late. She started as always telling him about the classes and she ended, in tears, confessing to him everything she hide to everyone else. She knew he probably wasn't the best person to trust everything but she couldn't talk about it with anyone else… no one would understand her because neither did she, and they'll judge her, think she was crazy and a traitor… no, definitely she had enough problems no seek for one more… and Viktor was also his friend, he was discreet and lack the prejudices which fill everyone else.

- Granger, were do you left Potty and Weasel?

The girl recognized that voice and as a spring, she hide the parchment behind her back, why the hell she had to find just him?

Malfoy entered the owlery and approach the girl with a calculating look, he noticed that she was hiding something that she didn't want him to see…

- What do you want? – she asked backing nervously.

- To be a bookworm you're quite stupid Granger. What do you think I'm doing in the owlery?

- I guess that send a message but, were is what you are going to send? – she asked bitingly looking Malfoy's empty hands.

- And what is that you are hiding? – he inquired in the same tone.

- On the contrary, Malfoy, I do have something to send – answered Hermione showing him the parchment but taking care not to show the addressee.

The Slytherin observed the parchment that the girl was pressing, he could just see the rolled extremes but the way she hold it and the fact that she had hide it from him made him thought that there was something on it that she didn't want him to see. Smirking, Malfoy took out the wand and quickly said: "Accio Parchment".

The parchment flew from the girl's hands to the one the Slytherin had in the air and closed around it. Hermione just let out a moan while she saw the paper in which she had written all her feelings for Malfoy, ended precisely in his hands.

- Give it back! – she begged with a high pitch voice full of anguish.

Maldoy grimaced maliciously and observed the name written meticulously in blue ink: Viktor Krum. In that moment, he felt the rage extend threw his body and looked the girl with fury.

- You still write with that one? – he asked with ferocity. Draco saw how the Gryffindor looked at him with surprise and he understood that he had shown a bit too much of his emotions, something that a Malfoy shouldn't do.

- That one? – she inquired – you didn't call him like that when he was at Hogwarts and said he was your friend.

- You are right, then I use to call him Vicky – he replied with mockery.

- Here you are very brave but I bet you are not able to tell him that to his face – answered the girl angrily. Malfoy made up an indifferent smile but the truth was that it infuriated him that she defend Krum like that, was there something between them?

- Is he your boyfriend? I knew he was a jerk but I never thought he would degrade to the point of getting involved with a filthy mudblood… - said the boy looking at her with disgust or at least he hoped she would see it like that. She just lowed her head to avoid his gaze and Malfoy had the impression that she was getting smaller in front of him.

- If he is or not – she answered in a weak voice – is none of your business and now give the parchment back, Malfoy.

- And what about that stupid of Dewey? You've already forgot about him? I don't think he will like to know that you are writing with Krum… are you with both? – he smiled maliciously – well, well Granger, I recognize I didn't expect that from you…

- Give it back – she repeated ignoring his comment.

He just look at her coldly, measuring her. He knew there was something in that parchment that she didn't want him to see, her trembling lips, scares gaze and the tension in her body betrayed her… beyond the fact that she had hid it from him. He wanted to read it and found out what she was keeping from him. A malicious shine fill his icy eyes and Hermione perceived it getting even more scares… her heart beat faster and her eyes were full of tears… he couldn't see it… he couldn't find out… this couldn't be happening to her… she need to get it back…

- Malfoy… - she begged – give it back…

- Those are not the magic words Granger… - he said pointing her with the parchment – how do you ask it? – he asked with a soft voice, as if he was talking to a child.

Hermione sob and tightened her fists trying to calm down, to scared to be furious.

- Ple… please… - she mumbled with faltering voice.

- What? – asked the boy in a very loud voice – I didn't heard you Granger, do you say something?

- I said… - she said with secure voice and starting to get angry – please…

- Please what? That I read it? – he inquired looking at her maliciously.

- Malfoy… - grumbled her tired and irritated.

The boy smirked before breaking the seal of the parchment and unrolling it. A tight and perfect calligraphy occupied the almost one and a half meter of the parchment. Throwing a last glance to the terrorized girl he had in front, he started reading aloud:

"_Dear Viktor,_

_I'm sorry I'm late in the answer to your letter, but I've been quite busy in classes. This year I have less subjects but my free hours I used them to do homework. Professor McGonagall…_ - Draco jumped the part were she talked about the classes and more, until he found some words that call his attention - _… I'm glad of the offer the Portsmouth Wiz made you to play in England, is a very important decision you must think well. I don't want you to rush in your acceptance… you must think the pros and cons of living here… and I don't want to influence your decision Viktor…_- Malfoy raised his eyes from the parchment to fix them in Granger, pursing his lips in a grimace of aversion and indignation –" I don't want to influence your decision Vicky?" That idiot wants to come to England only because of you? – Hermione blushed completely and twisted her hands, nervous and ashamed – please… - he spit disgusted, but in the inside he felt furious, more than he expected – is clear that he has no brain… the only thing he knows is to play quidditch… he's not even handsome… and… - he shut up when he saw the dumbfounded expression of the girl, again he had spoken to much – I'll continue reading but I fill like I'm going to threw up – he added trying to show disdain and coldness, when the only thing he wanted is to finish reading.

- Then give me back the parchment – she said hopefully extending her hand to him. Maybe in other moment, Draco would've tear up the letter, throw it to the window or at her, and leave. That letter wouldn't have interest him just to mortified her and bothered her for a while, then he would have lost any interest… but now… it was different. He wanted to read the whole letter, to know what she said to that stupid Bulgarian and find out if she was hiding it from him because she feared he would find it silly or because something more.

- I don't see what I win with that – he answered with sufficiency, he had her in his hands and he knew it.

- Free yourself from my presence – she replied seriously, as if she spoke of a cruel reality she had already accepted. Draco observed her for a few seconds, her brown eyes watch him intense and hardly, not showing any feeling more than a mix of disdain and indifference. And he didn't know why he had to break the contact of that gaze. What was he doing? He was giving up in front of a mudblood? He look at her with rage by making him feel like that, weak, vulnerable, changeable… and he wanted to hurt her.

- It sounds tempting Granger – recognized the boy with cold voice – but I think I prefer to continue reading…

- Please Malfoy… - she begged approaching to him, tearful.

- Don't be pathetic – he said roughly to return his eyes to the parchment and started to read aloud again – _There is something I want to tell you… there is no one I can trust, no one would understand me if I decided to talk and at least I know you won't judge me. I think I might explode if I not tell someone, is something really big to keep it inside… I think I'm in love with…_

But Draco couldn't continue reading, he barely had time to blink when the girl snatched the parchment from his hands. He looked furiously at her but before he could do or say anything he felt the girl's hand slapping his cheek too strongly that his face turned and his hair covered his eyes. He reach his cheek to surprised that he only looked at her and what he saw hurt him more than the slap. Hermione looked at him or he think so, cause her eyes were full of tears and he doubted she could distinguish him, some of which fall from her eyelashes falling threw her cheeks and ended in her lips, from which escaped sobs and labored breaths, as if there wasn't enough air to fill her lungs, as if she felt too much pain to breath.

- Why? – she mumbled with a voice full of anguish and desperation – why have you done it? Why do you hate me so much than you can't waste an opportunity to make me suffer? Why do you pick it on me? Why does it seem that you wake up every morning just to look for a way to make me feel the most unlucky and painful creature in the world? Because if that is your purpose, congratulations Malfoy… you've achieved again and again… you get that every time I see you… I wish to die…

She looked at him for a while, as if she waited for him too say something, but Malfoy was just too impressed to talk, and as a Stone statue he stood there watching the girl run from the owlery in sobs and tears.

_Hey!_

_Again por Hermione have ended crying, she is such a crybaby XD hahaha but is not for less. First she discovers that she is in love with someone she must hate, and then she can't tell anyone and when she tries, he almost catch her… almost… XD_

_I hope you like it and just say to you that now is Hermione the one that suffers, but maybe soon roles could change…_

_By the way, the next chapter is one of my favorites and I have the feeling you are going to like it_

_Thank you very much for the reviews,_

_Really thank you,_

_Kisses!_

Hey! As you see this weekend I uploaded 3 chapters! That's a record for me XD lol cause I don't have enough time to translate. I'll try to update soon! Kisses! And thank you for the reviews! Lola.


	10. Amortentia

Chapter 10: Amortentia

_Capitulo X: Amortentia_

Hermione tried to concentrate in what she was reading, an Arithmancy treaty written by a greek wizard called Tales. Usually, Hermione found Arthithmancy so interesting that she was absorbed completely and make her forget about everything. But that day she felt unable to concentrate, she couldn't stop thinking in her last encounter with Malfoy, when he was near to discover how she felt about him… Malfoy should never find put that she was in love with him… it would be her doom… he hated and humiliated her because of being a mudblood and if he knew her feelings she would be a lot more vulnerable and object of his mockery.

She almost started crying when she saw Malfoy enter the library and examined the room until he found her. Hermione quickly fixed her attention to the book, forcing herself to ignore him and trying to think in something else but it was impossible as she realized that Malfoy was sitting in front of her. The Slytherin opened a book in any page, laid on the backseat of the chair and crossed his arms.

Hermione refused to look at him but in a way she felt that he had his eyes fixed on her. For a few minutes, she tried desperately to concentrate in the numbers and structures that the book exposed but she saw them and didn't understand anything. She would've had the same result if she had tried to read Chinese and she was getting nervous. And as if It wasn't enough, Malfoy started tapping his fingers against the table while with the other hand he passed the pages of the book, without sense, forward, backward… and so on. Every touch of his fingertips against the table, every change of page, made her go mad and the sounds appeared to eco in her head. When she was near to hysteria, she closed the book, picked it up and stood up abruptly. Without looking at Malfoy, she left the table and left the library with big steps and when she was completely out she started running. When she was not able to breath anymore, she stopped and rest, trying to catch some air.

She wasn't sure why but something told her that she must get away and return to the Common Room. There she would be safe of Malfoy but not of her friends that didn't stop asking her questions, worried about her sickness and mood. The library had always been her refugee when she was not in the mood to be with her friends but now it had turned into a torture every time Draco Malfoy walked trough the doors. She didn't know about a place were she was able to escape from the Slytherin. Nervous, she rubbed her face with her hands and examined the corridor over her shoulder, afraid to see someone appeared trough it. And her fears came true when Malfoy appeared threw the corridor and face her, he was following her.

Hermione panicked, and without thinking it, she started to run as if her life depended on it. When she got to the Great Hall, she took some stairs at the left, run threw the corridor and took other stairs. She looked back to be sure that Malfoy didn't follow her, and after taking a half dozen of stairs and corridors, she convinced herself that she was being paranoid. Malfoy wasn't following her, it had no sense, and probably he just went to the library to bother her and when she left, he decided to to the same. She reproach herself for acting in such a stupid way, she had run like a scared little girl.

She wandered threw the corridor completely disoriented and feeling tremendously stupid. She didn't know were she was, it seemed that in a part of the castle that she had never visited before and she had no idea how she arrived there, so she must search for a way out. At least there, wherever she was, she would have some peace, she said to herself. She tried to open some doors but half of them were fake doors and the other half was closed. At last, with any hope left, she tried to open the last door of the corridor and for her surprise she was able to open it and enter into a small and rectangular room, with torches because the proximity of night. She entered letting out a loud breath and let her book on a table near the wall. She sighed and climbed on the table, rested her back in the cold wall and hugged her knees. She closed her eyes trying to relax. First Malfoy showed up in the library, the she ran like crazy and now she was completely lost in some place of the big castle, could it be worst?

Hermione didn't know how much time she was in that position with her eyes closes and her mind thinking in too much things. All her thoughts turned around Draco Malfoy and her damns feelings for him. Why her? Why had she looked into the less reachable persons for her? The person that hate her the most. He will never return the feelings and Hermione was fine with that, because she and Malfoy couldn't be together, not matter how they felt. She had no chance, she knew that, and because of that it should be easy to forget him, she must. She was tired of crying every time he mistreat her or insulted her… she wished his insults and offenses were indifferent to her, as it had been for years. She sighed deeply and opened her eyes.

The she saw him; the object of her thoughts was there, inside the room, with the door closed behind him. Hermione gave a start, she didn't hear him enter not even close the door, she had been too concentrated to notice. But the truth was that now he was just some inches away from her and that they were alone in a room lost in the immensity of Hogwarts.

- What are you doing here? – she asked in a high pitched voice. She stood up quickly and hugged the Arithmancy book as if it was a shield that could protect her from Malfoy.

He shrugged, ignoring her question, and fixing his cold eyes on her. That ice eyes had something hypnotic that made Hermione feel completely paralyzed, altered and calmed at the same time. She looked away to avoid them and fixed her sight in the boy's neck.

- Why don't you leave me alone Malfoy? – she answered starting to get angry. He followed her there but apparently he didn't have the intention to talk or do something more than observe her – haven't you bothered me enough in the owlery? Why have you followed me?

The girl observed with attention waiting for his answer or any reaction, but he did absolutely nothing, he note ven blinked, he just stood there watching her.

What do you want from me? – she cried containing herself from throwing him the book on his blonde hair.

Hermione thought that she will go mad if he continue ignoring her, she wish to throw him Ginny's Bat-bogey Hex or a Cruciatus… yes, but instead of that she decide to get out of there. She passed by Malfoy's side and opened the door ready to leave but, when she was about to go out, the Slytherin put his hand on the door and closes it fiercely in Hermione's nose. With his hand still in the door, he turned his face and looked a Hermione seriously, to seriously that Hermione was scared.

Who are you in love with, Granger? – he asked.

For a few seconds Hermione was to stupefied to answer, then she frown and looked at him furiously.

- Why does it matter to you? – she replied.

- I've got my motives – he answered enigmatically.

- I will never tell you – she answered embarrassed, she felt her cheeks hot for the rage. How does he dare to ask her that? – you less than anyone.

To her surprise, Malfoy reacted to the girls rage showing a smirk of satisfaction and self security.

Why Granger? Because maybe it's me?

Hermione thought that her heart had stopped when she heard those words and she realized that she was holding her breath. Malfoy was still smiling, sure that he had uncovered the secret and obviously quite satisfied with himself and Hermione was full of rage, rage that was brought by fear. He had discovered her… now everything will be hell for her, well, a worst hell that it already was… she looked at him with fury and in that instant she hated him.

Almost unconsciously, her free hand raised in the air before touching the Slytherin's face. Malfoy's pale face turned and his platinum hair fall to his eyes.

Hermione watch him scared by what she had done and then he raised his face, his hair fall to the sides revealing his cold eyes burning in rage.

The scared girl moved back a few steps but he approached her abruptly and grabbed her strongly by the shoulders. He pulled her into him and kissed her roughly; with to much force that Hermione felt pain. At first he took possession of her mouth, forcing her to separate her lips to deepen his tongue, taking what he wish, showing her mixed feelings, giving free rein to his desire repressed to much time. He kissed her with rage, cruelty, for what she had caused, wanting to release in her mouth all his past frustration, wanting to revenge for what she made him feel… but the sweetness and shyness with which the girl answered left him unarmed and vulnerable to the caress of their lips and their tongues. And he abandoned himself completely into the kiss, enjoying every soft and slow movement, drinking every drop of nectar that she docilely offered him, enjoying her mouth at last. He grabbed her strongly by her waist, attracting her to him while she rest in the boy's chest, trapping the robes between her fingers as if her balance depend on it. Their bodies were completely glued by their longing mouths.

Hermione was lost in other world; she had lost any sense of time or space and was only conscious of Draco's kisses and the sensations they provoke her, but her weakened mind heard a near voice.

Where are they Mrs. Norris? You feel them don't you? Young students violating rules, right? Lead me to them…

It took her some time to realize what was going on and understand that Filch was near. Using all her will, she pushed the boy slightly to move him apart and whispered:

Filch…

Mmm? – murmured the boy before he kissed her again. When she felt his wet lips on hers and his tongue seeking hers, Hermione surrender to the kiss forgetting that Filch was near and he could find them any minute.

Are they there Mrs. Norris? Do you smell them? – Filch's voice sounded closer now.

This time, both, Draco and Hermione reacted and broke apart slowly to look at each other for a few seconds. They both knew that if Filch found themn, consequences will be terrible, the must run.

Come – murmured the boy taking her wrist to make her follow him, but she didn't move. Draco saw her angrily and was about to ask her what the hell was going on when he saw the girl pulled out her wand and pointed the door. Without a word, showing a perfect use of non-verbal spells, Hermione sealed the door with a spell. In that same instant the both saw how someone tried to open the door from the other side.

Holly Ghosts! – spit Filch's familiar voice – this door is locked, no one could've enter here Mrs. Norris… lest keep searching, they mustn't escape…

Neither of them moved, not even breath, until the caretaker's steps were lost in the corridors. After that, they both stared at each other, the fear had disappeared and now they were alone again… after kissing. Hermione watch the boy completely blushed and twisted her hands nervously; she still trembled at the idea of what they've done and was uncertain of his reaction.

Obviously, Draco didn't know what the hell to say or do and that fill him with rage, he felt stupid, standing there, just observing her and trying not to look those lips moistened by him. He couldn't stop thinking of her mouth and in how much he wanted to kiss her again… but, it was Granger! What the hell was he thinking! He had kissed a mudblood!

- What have you done? – he spitted suddenly.

- What? – she asked confused.

- Yes! – he yelled grabbing her by the shoulders – what have you done to me?!

- I don't understand you… - she murmured nervously.

- You are a bookworm, don't you? I'm sure that you could've done a love potion perfectly, because if is not that is impossible that I've… - he interrupted himself, aware of what he had almost said.

- That you what? – she asked looking into his eyes.

- You know how love potions work! – he cried letting her go and watching her angrily.

- I haven't used a love potion with you Malfoy – she answered dryly, she started to get offended. How he dare to accuse her of that, when he was the one who kissed her!

- Common Granger – he said smirking – admit it, is understandable… after all you're not the first nor the last that falls for me…

- You're a spoiled brat! – she cried completely angry because he didn't believe her. He appeared to be ready to find an excuse to the fact that he had kissed her and he accused her of using a spell on him.

- You like that, don't you? – he asked with a suggestive tone, approaching her without breaking eye contact. Hermione affected by the boys proximity, backed up, his smell and the heat his body released make her evoke his kisses and that make her blush. She almost let out a scream when she reached the wall and Malfoy rest his both arms, one at each side of Hermione's face. He reached her face, stopping just a few inches away from her mouth and whispered: - Tell me, Hermione… - his breath tickled her lips – how did you make me drink the potion?

- I don't… - she started angrily but Draco interrupt her by sealing her lips with his, unarming her completely. Few seconds later, he broke apart and look into her eyes.

- I will ask you again; do you put the potion into my food? How did you do it? – he steal a quick kiss and continue – well?

She observed him for a while, aware of what the boy wanted. It doesn't matter how pleasant his kisses were, she'll never recognized something she hadn't done and that denigrate her. Furious, he pushed the boy away from her and fix her eyes on his.

- I hadn't throw anything to your food Malfoy – she spit – I wouldn't stoop so low and specially not for you… - in that moment she hate him – so you have two options; to continue thinking that I bewitched you, which logically isn't true, or, ask to yourself why have you kissed me… grow up a little and stop blaming other people for your actions, Malfoy – she ended with rage and without losing anytime she opened the door with an "Alohomora" and disappeared.

Draco stood in the same position he had been since Hermione pushed him away and continue to look at the door were she had disappeared. His first reaction was to curse her. First he felt furious because she had yelled him those things, the he got scared when he remembered the way he had kissed her. He felt many kinds of things and realities he didn't want to hear on his head, ready to show him he was an idiot. But he didn't want to think. He didn't want to remember what had happened, in the same way he hated the sensation he still had in his mouth, as if in some way he was still kissing her. He run out from the room without knowing were he was going, he only knew he wanted to get out of that place were he had made something that had no name. He didn't wanted to analyze his thoughts because he was afraid of what he could discover, but in the same way he knew that until he didn't do it, he was not going to be able to rest. The love potion was a possibility but even though he didn't recognize it in front of the Gryffindor, he knew it had no sense. It was almost impossible that she had put a potion into his drink or food, their tables were far apart and she was never near his.

And that demonstrate him that he hadn't kissed her because a magic reason, that meant he kissed her because of him, with plain conscious and will. But, to be honest, he didn't remember wanting to kiss her, he just did it and couldn't stop. He remembered Hermione's words: "ask yourself why have you kissed me"… why had he done it?

She was a mudblood, an inferior being for a Malfoy, she must be as important as a cockroach in his shoe. She must make him feel disgust, revulsion…

But he hadn't experiment none of those feelings when he kissed her, he didn't know exactly what he had felt but, sure enough it had nothing to do with disgust or revulsion. Whatever it had been… he liked it.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Hey! _

_This chapter is one of my favorites. __=D Hermione left very pissed of (what I found normal after what he did) and Draco without knowing, said and let her see many things… what will happen now? Cham cham… (tension)_

_Thank you very much!_

_Kisses!_

_Dry ;)_

**SORRY!!! I'm REALLY really sorry I didn't update quickly… it have been more than a motnh =S I'm deeply sorry but with work, college and homework I can barely breath. But in a week I'm going to have one month of vacations and that means I'm going to update sooner. Hope you'll review!! =D… and I apologize for my terrible grammar lol **


	11. Forbidden

_Chapter 11: Forbbiden_

_Capitulo XI: Prohibido_

He rubbed his lips fiercely and spit a curse. He had almost arrived to Slytherin's Common Room, in a record time. He felt urgency from running away from that damned room, as if with that he could be able to forget what had happened and abandoned the sensation he had on the stomach.

His head had many preoccupying thoughts. He had kissed Granger, _he _had kissed _her_, and the worst of it… was that he liked it. He cursed himself when he thought that if Filch hadn't appeared he was quite sure that he would still be there kissing her with his whole life. In fact he was just able to think in kissing her again, what the hell was going on with him?

He spitted the password when he reached the wall of Slytherin's Common Room and entered as an exhalation. He scanned the room and soon found what he was looking for. Pansy was sitting in an emerald chair, with bent knees and a boring look, reading a big black leather book. Draco walked rapidly into her, pushed the book away and grabbing her by the back of the neck made her to incorporate. Pansy let out a surprise moan before Draco kissed her urgently, smashing his mouth with hers. The girl had to grab herself fiercely to the Slytherin's robe to maintain balance and not land on the couch, he put a hand on her back to attract her more to him with such force that Pansy thought he was about to crack her in two. But she preferred that before complaining or moving apart from him.

Draco seized to the girl kissing her desperately. She was the only one that could erase every sensation that the bookworm had awaken in him. She _must._ She will make him forget what happened. One only thought occupied his head: by kissing Pansy he will find the answer to explain why he had kissed Granger. Pansy will demonstrate him that he had kissed Granger just by pure anger, as a way to punish her for slap him. She will demonstrate him that he had only liked the kisses objectively, that she hadn't awakened something deeper in him. That he didn't felt happier reaching euphoria mixed with his frustration to almost make worth kissing the Gryffindor. That he didn't think in Granger, wishing that it was she who answered his kisses instead of Pansy.

But Pansy was not Granger, and even though his mind was trying to trick him, something inside him recognize her and rejected her, because she wasn't who he wanted to kiss. Pansy kissed him skillfully, not in vain he had taught her, but she lacked the sweetness with which Granger had answered him. He ruled in the kissed, Pansy only followed him. Granger instead, was able to break in until he surrendered to more powerful weapons than ability. He didn't kiss her as he had kissed Granger. More hard as he tried, he wasn't able to block out and surrender completely, he kissed Pansy mechanically and soon he lost interest and his mind went to a different way than his body. With Pansy he only had a nice pleasure, what Granger had given him instead, was addictive.

Reaching this point, Draco opened his eyes and stopped kissing Pansy, but she didn't do it. He let her go disappointed, frustrated and furious with himself and with her, he push her abruptly. Pansy watch him taken aback by a few seconds, as if she had been awaken of a dream.

What's wrong Draco? – she asked confused. He didn't answer her and pursing his lips with rage, he walked away from her. All the students that were in the Common Room heard Draco Malfoy slam the door of his room.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

- "Bat wings" – spitted Hermione in front of the Fat Lady's portrait.

- Why are you so disturbed? – inquired the Fat Lady before moving apart to let her in. Hermione answerer with a snort and entered the Common Room frowning and tight lips. Ron, who as sitting with Harry and Ginny, make her signs so she will join them but Hermione was to furious to pretend that nothing had happened, so she said NO with her head and leave to her dormitory. She felt relieved because it was empty and without delay she threw herself into the bed. Crookshanks run to climb onto the red blankets, letting out a caressing moan, and curl up by her side silently.

- He is a stupid jerk – she mumbled crumplin the pillow in her hands. Crookshanks turned its head to her, as if it was listening but Hermione didn't look at him. She was furious. Everything had happened so fast and in a very strange way. She had started running from Malfoy, then they have kissed for minutes and finally they had fought. That seemed to be a ridiculous and unbelievable dream. She pressed her lips remembering everything and reliving the fight but when she did that, she couldn't avoid recalling the glorious minutes in which they have been kissing. And when she did that her rage disappeared replaced by a heavy dead weight of anguish in her chest.

He had kissed her.

Her.

A mudblood.

Far from enjoying herself, Hermione was really worried. Why have he kissed her? And it was obvios that after doing it he had regretted it profoundly otherwise he wouldn't have accused her of using a love filter. She would have sweat that not even the Amortentia of the whole world would be enough to make him want to kiss her and in a certain way that had consoled her because that meant that the love she felt for him will never be possible and she will end forgetting him. But now she didn't know what to think. It was not that she hoped that he will ever be able to feel something special for her… or yes? Until that moment she had never thought of it… but… it was not prove enough that he had kissed her? And now that she thought about it, maybe he didn't hate Dewey, he was just jealous. And that will also explained why he was so interested to know who she was in love with.

She asked herself what will she do if Malfoy return the feelings and felt scared just to think about it. It was already to bad to have fall in love of him, being with him will be worse… she let out a soft laugh trying to low the tension, telling herself that the incident had affected her too much. The only thing she was sure of was that she must forget Malfoy. He was not only a Slytherin but a person with many defects, and he had treated her bad. He not only thought she was one of the many girls sighing for him, he had blame her of giving him a love potion and had kissed her as if she was something he could manipulate. He had kissed her, and blamed her for everything.

Hermione let out a snort just of thinking about it but then told herself that the Slytherin could think whatever he wanted, on the inside they both knew he had kissed her because he wanted to. And in such a way… they had kissed her before… but never like he did. And the difference wasn't just in the way of kissing but in what the kisses had awakened in her. She couldn't deny that the minutes he kissed her had been the best minutes of her life. She had felt nervous, expectation and illusion could be felt in her stomach as if she had eaten thousands of pixies were flying furiously inside her. Her heart beat rapidly until it hurt and she felt the blood heavy in her temples. But she was also filled with a sweet emotion, very sweet that she had no words to describe. It was a mixture of joy, happiness, pleasure… as if her whole body wanted to smile. It had been a wonderful sensation…

She moved to lay upside down her bed and caressed Crookshanks with a silly smile on her lips, thinking that if to make a Patronus you need a happy memory, in that moment she could've made one that will scare all Azkaban.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione felt how her heart beat faster as Harry, Ron and she approached the dungeons. They had Potions with Slughorn what meant she will see Malfoy for the first time since what had happened on Friday. She had passed the week-end trying to distract with her friends not to think of it but she had not had good results. Harry, Ron and Ginny had noticed she was distracted and both of the boys hadn't stop asking her if she was fine. Ginny had just watched her with suspicious eyes.

Hermione felt very guilty of not being able to answer sincerely and to have to make up excuses. That reminded her constantly that what she had done with Malfoy, what she felt for him, was something impossible. Forbidden. A betrayal.

No one will understand because she was the first one that didn't do it. She didn't know what she saw in him but it didn't matter anyway. Anything that matter was to forget him as soon as possible and also that the incident wouldn't repeat. She had done badly; she didn't want to make it worse.

She felt guilty just to think of the many times she had smiled to herself when she remembered the kisses, when she had let her mind fly to the memories, to him. When she had not listened to what Ron or Harry were saying because she was thinking of Malfoy, when she had made nonsense excuses, that nothing was wrong with her. She will forget him and the remorse will go with him. She won't be a traitor anymore, a traitor that had to hide her feelings and lie to her friends. She will just be her, free of that invisible weight that didn't let her sleep, eat or smile. That love mixed with remorse and guilt. That feeling was as necessary as her rationality and which killed it until it was just a very weak voice in her head. And she had ignored it many times.

When she entered the room with her friends, Malfoy was already inside sitted in his table with his head downwards and his eyes fixed on the table. Hermione's heart raced when she saw him with the hair covering his eyes and thinking. Was he thinking in them? She hold the book tighter and scold herself of thinking in that, she didn't care. Well, she must not care.

She couldn't help to through him a quick look before sitting and she found Malfoy's eyes on her. And what she saw was pure icy fury, coldness, a hardness she had never saw with such intensity. It was very clear that he hated her.

The girl removed her sight quickly and closed her eyes hardly trying to hide what she knew was coming. Lately she cried easily and just because of him. Why was she concerned that after he kissed her, he looks at her which such hatred? Better that way, it will be easier to forget, not only because it was bad but because that meant she had no possibility. But she couldn't avoid feeling that something inside her was dying and reduced to ashes. A hope, a little illusion that was there among every reason, a hope that born over the incident. The illusion that maybe, as crazy as it sound, he could feel something for her. But it was clear he didn't.

- Hermione? – Harry's voice made her open her eyes and turn to face him. Harry and Ron were watching her with preoccupied eyes, as did Professor Slughorn.

- I'm fine – she answered and forced a smile that wasn't to difficult, she was getting used to it – I was just remembering what we saw last class Professor.

Even though Slughorn seemed pleased with that answer, Harry and Ron didn't seem very happy.

When finally Slughorn finished the class, Hermione stood up quickly and picked up her things to get free from the Slytherin's presence. She left the dungeon followed by her but she stopped when she saw at the end of the corridor a brunette boy with green eyes resting on the wall and watching absentminded the ceiling.

She sighed in her insides thinking that she didn't wanted to talk to Ben now but she knew that sooner or later she must do it, so she excused with Harry and Ron and went to talk to him.

- Hi Ben – she greeted. He, as busy as he was watching the ceiling, hadn't noticed that Hermione was near him and when he saw her he got startled and slide to the floor. Quickly he stood up and regain his composure.

- Hi Hermione, I wanted to talk to you… do you have something to do right now? – he asked shyly.

- Well I… - she bit her lower lip thinking in some excuse to give him when she felt someone crash with her so abruptly that she lost her balance and had to hold Ben to avoid falling.

- What is your problem? – spitted Ben while he surrounded Hermione protectively with his arms.

- I don't have any Dewey- Hermione recognized Malfoy's voice behind her but she hadn't the strength to turn so she stood still in Ben's arms – in fact I made you a favor. Now you have the mudblood in your arms, is what you wanted isn't it? And this is the only way you have to get it.

Hermione felt how Ben's body tensed around her and raising her face to him, she murmured with begging voice: - Ignore him Ben, please.

Draco observed tensely how Dewey watch him throwing fire threw his eyes, furious, but when he looked at the bookworm his expression, his face and his body appeared to softened and he smiled before telling her to leave. Draco had to feel satisfied just by squeezing his wand under the robes because Potter and Weasley passed near him throwing menacing looks and following the couple. He wanted to strangle somebody.

Dewey, no, Granger was better. She had the fault of everything. He had provoked Dewey hoping he will answer and Granger will get mad at him but she had look at him with begging eyes and the Ravenclaw had calmed down. Stupid. Stupid, both of them.

Draco's blood was boiling just thinking of what Dewey and Granger were probably doing in that moment and he hated her for feeling that way.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Hey! _

_I'm back with a new chapter ____ you can see that after the kiss each one has gone by his/her one way pissed off and with different, very different thoughts but with the same conclusion: they can't be together. Now Ben is back, what does he want? _

_Thank you for the reviews. Let me tell you that Hermione will not cry for a while and that her friends will appear some more in the future. _

_Kisses Dry!_

**Ok… SORRY! I know you not longer believe me… but I don't have as much time as I will like, so I can't write as much as I would like. Hope you'll review =) And thanks to all that are reading this!! Love you!! Lola**


	12. Temptations and desires

_Chapter 12: __Temptations and desires_

_Capitulo XII: Provocaciones y anhelos_

- Are you alright?

Ben's voice resound through the corridor of cold stone bursting with its echo Hermione's thoughts. She looked at him for a while until she understood what he had said.

- Yes – she answered finally, she noticed that lying was such a normal thing now. All because of Malfoy.

- You'll see Hermione, I have the sensation that… I don't know, that you are avoiding me… since we begin the year and I fought with that git of Malfoy, you barely speak to me and I've not dare to approach you in the library for the same reason… - he stopped and Hermione also did it. Ben watch her deeply with his green eyes before going on – did… did I made or said something that… are you like that because of the fight I had with Malfoy?

- I don't like fights – she said and it was true. Never had she bear them and less if they were because of her. She had been angry with both, Benjamin and Malfoy, for starting a fight as two roosters ignoring her completely when she was "the problem". She didn't understand why they had to solve everything with curses. From Malfoy she didn't expect anything else but, she felt that for Benjamin was more important his pride than what she wanted. At least that's what she thought when she asked herself why she was so distant with him but a little trickery voice suggest her that maybe she was being so cold because he could've injured Malfoy.

- I just wanted to defend you Hermione – answered the Ravenclaw ashamed.

- I know Benjamin. I know that your intention was good… but for Malfoy and people like him… is better to ignore them…

- How do you do it? – asked Benjamin in an admiration tone – I've always admired how you are capable to ignore the people that mess up with you and to do as if they don't exist, without letting them to affect you…

Hermione gave a hint of a smile. It have been a long time since she wasn't able to ignore Malfoy's comments, in fact, they affect her more than anyone could imagine. There was nothing admirable in her.

That is one of the things that I like about you – added the boy with the same tone. Hermione felt how her cheeks burned and saw the Ravenclaw blushing too – well, do you forgive me?

- I don't have anything to forgive you Ben.

- Then… friends? – he asked reaching his hand to her while holding his breath.

Hermione smiled him before taking it.

- Friends.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione sighed with relief when she saw that the library was empty with the exception of Mrs. Pince, the librarian. It wasn't something unexpected because most of the students in Hogwarts were still eating at the Great Hall.

She sat on her table, feeling how the peace that surrounded the library got into her, relaxing her nerves and softening her mood. She had just seen Parkinson giving Malfoy to eat a mint cupcake before letting out a silly laugh. This scene made Hermione threw her fork and stood up abruptly feeling how her stomach had closed completely and wanted to get out of there.

- Hermione what are you doing? – Harry had asked her.

- I'm going to the library, I'll meet you in the greenhouse – she answered plainly and left before no one could reply. And there she was, in the table of always and fortunately with no sign of Malfoy, Dewey or any person that could bother her. She took out a feather, a bottle of ink and a parchment, and placed them tidy in the table, which had many lines as if it had been scratched in many occasions. Hermione wasn't surprised by that because she was also starting to lose her nails because she scratched them when she studied hysterically. She dip the feather with ink and before writing, she threw a quick glance to the library's entry, mistrustfully. A drop of black ink slipped from the extreme of the feather and died in the yellowish parchment.

Malfoy was there, under the lintel of the door, watching her intensely. He went directly to her, without looking away and when he got to the table, he threw a blue book in it. Hermione startled a little while Malfoy rested both hands in the table, one at each side of the book making some platinum locks fall over his eyes.

Waiting for Dewey, Granger? – he asked with a smirk. Hermione decided to ignore him and taking her wand, she touched the spot of ink which immediately disappeared. Malfoy leaned more over the table, getting closer to Hermione. She knew he only wanted to intimidate her with his presence and she was tempted to run, but at the last moment she decided to change of strategy.

Do you still think I used a love potion in you, Malfoy?

The girl could observe with satisfaction how he retreated momentarily unarmed, but in a while he raised an eyebrow and leaned again onto the table.

Do you think that because you have that idiot of Dewey after you, everybody else has the same symptoms? – he asked sourly – well, I'll tell you something: no one is interested on you. Not even Dewey, he just uses you to exceed his N.E.W.T

I've never think that Dewey was going after me – she answered plainly, and it was true. She knew he was only kind with her and that if he had kissed her under the mistletoe was just because it was a stupid Christmas costume. That was why he had run away and avoided her for days, to make clear there were no feelings toward her.

Draco remained silent for some seconds watching her and deciding if she was trying to make fun of him. She seem sincere, was it possible that she was that stupid to have not noticed that Dewey was crazy for her? He made an ironic face; it was obvious that the answer was affirmative. She wouldn't realize that Dewey drawled for her not even if he proposed.

- Your very stupid bookworm – he said in a superiority tone – it is quite clear that the jerk is crazy for you, that he needs help in his studies is just an excuse to be near you, haven't you realized that no one with his stupidity could've reach seventh year? – he asked with disgust – of course it's just a worthless trick of muggles to be near you. He always uses any excuse and never moves his eyes off you when you are near him. He had to gathered the courage to kiss you under the mistletoe – he said, with each word he became more and more heated, he had closed his hands into fists – and then he run… coward – he spit disdainfully – and he turns into a basilisk every time I'm near you… it seems he has named himself your guardian… and you are so stupid that you think he only acts like that because of nobility and friendship, don't you? – he mocked.

Hermione was open-mouthed when Malfoy finished his speech. She had never ever listened him talk with such hatred and anger… not even when he addressed her, whom he had remembered dozens of times how much she disgust him. It seemed that he spit every word with pure hate and something she couldn't define… like… sourness? Anyway, the thing was that it was obvious he had seen details that she had not even noticed, does it meant that he had been spying them? What was that of Dewey gathering the courage to kiss her? How could he have guessed that if he wasn't observing her too? How had he noticed that Benjamin seek for her?

- I don't know if everything you said is a motive to think that Dewey is after me or that you are – she said without thinking, and when she heard her own words, she blushed. She insinuating that Malfoy could feel something for her? Just think of it was crazy, but saying it, had no name.

Draco tensed immediately and paled even more, giving his face a fragile and tormented look. He almost trembled in fury and his heart beat faster than a Fwooper's flapping. He felt a stab of irrational panic, as possessed by sensation of imminent danger and his brain started to think faster. How does he felt… outraged? Insulted? Furious?... scared? He thought fast in what reaction could erase any doubt of his feelings towards the mudblood, and when he found it, he watch her for a few instants with a serious expression and then… he started laughing.

Hermione felt as if she had been slapped when she saw how the Slytherin burst into laughter and banged the table with his fists to remark how funny he had found the comment she had made. She was conscious that she had said something stupid, but even though, the sound of the laughter was like a rope that tied her heart stronger, squeezing it until it was dry. She felt so humiliated by the fact that the idea of feeling something for her was so humorous and hilarious, that she stood up immediately and put al her things in her bag, she closed the ink before throwing it inside and without looking at the Slytherin, she turn and went away.

- You can be funny if you want to Granger – Malfoy's honeyed voice behind her back paralyzed her – I had never listened something so ridiculous – he let out a cruel laugh and Hermione trembled, still giving her back to him – but I don't doubt that that's what you'll like.

Malfoy walked until he reached her, and when he did, he stood in front of the girl and watch her fixedly with his icy eyes.

Don't you Granger? – he asked in a whisper – because it is you the one who's crazy for me. Welcome to the club. – he end with presumption and vanity.

Hermione felt how she trembled uncontrollably, but not of nervousness but because of the rage she felted, how did he dare to speak to her like that? As if she was one more of those sighing and trembling girls that watch him with admiration every time he passed with his arrogant expression. As if he only needed to snap his fingers and she will fell to his feet. Arrogant and spoiled, that he was.

You don't make me laugh – she spit offended – Cause I remind you that it was you who kissed me.

The vain expression was erased immediately from the Slytherin's face as he hardened it, until it seemed it was ice what was piercing at her.

- And you will like me to do it again, don't you Granger? – he asked in a tone to cold and cutting to be suggestive – admit it – he insisted resentfully - it's me of whom you are in love, it was of me who you were talking about in Krum's letter.

Hermione felt discovered and vulnerable. He knew it or at least seemed to be sure he did. She observed him desperately, wishing the floor of the library will open and eat her forever. It was obvious what she felted, Hermione knew he suspect it since he read the letter but after the way she had melted in his lips, for the Slytherin was no doubt left. She looked at him, unable to speak, and saw how a smirk formed in his face, erasing the coldness in his eyes and changing it for a strange shine… almost malicious. Everything on him, from his posture to his look, indicate his self-security, and for his expression you could guess that he was self-satisfied and was waiting for the girl to throw into his arms and confess her love for him.

The Gryffindor opened her mouth searching for something to shout him but, she was so indignated that she wasn't able to talk. How she hated him. She hated that expression of being the king of the world, that security of being desired, his idolatry and his narcissism. How a person could be so in love whit himself?

- Oh, don't be that self-confident – she said at last, pissed off – you are not much as you think you are, you know? You are not that handsome, neither that athletic nor that wonderful as you think – she pointed him in a menacing way – not even the best quidditch player or the best wizard.

Hermione observed with some pleasure how Malfoy got furious and tightened his lips and fists, killing her with his eyes. At least she had hurt him, although it had been just his pride.

- And Dewey is? – he asked with a voice full of disgust and anger.

- Dewey? – asked Hermione surprised – what does Dewey has to do with this?

- Yes, the idiot of your friend. He is handsome, athletic and wonderful? Ha! Don't make me laugh – he said with cold sarcasm – he's just an airhead full of muscles and with no attractive at all. He needs help from a daughter of muggles to pass and in his last quidditch match he lost his left ear. And you think he is better than me? Tell me something Granger – he gave a step forward, touching the girl's feet and reaching her face – he also kisses better than me? – he said in a whisper that froze Hermione's blood and burned her lips. The girl closed her eyes and swallowed loudly, while she felt her legs trembling under the black robe. Merlin, that answered had destroyed her.

- Would you like me to kiss you again… Hermione? – he insisted with whispering voice and half-opened lips very close to the girl's mouth.

Touched and sinking. Hermione was almost melting under the proximity of the boy's mouth to hers, she just needed to raise a little bit her face for their lips to brush, to feel again how he drank her soul. To experiment again that heat, that sensation of happiness with drops of sweetness. But her lately forgotten conscience talked to her between that mist of pleasure that fill her with hope. That was what he wanted, that she kissed him to demonstrate that he was the one who had the power, that she was the one looking for him. He temptated, she desired.

If she gave away to her feelings, her desires, the urgent need to kiss him, she will be giving him the reason, demonstrating him for one more time that she was in love with him. And he was already suspecting it. She couldn't confirm it.

She stood very still during some seconds looking into his eyes, and then, very slowly she backed of, and even though he didn't grab her, Hermione had the sensation that he sustained her with his look. Fighting that invisible force that immobilized her, she backed a few steps feeling how the effect of the boy's proximity died. She blinked forcefully for a couple of times and felt more awakened and in control of herself, the she looked at him seriously.

- I'm not going to kiss you again Malfoy – she said calmly and it was certainly her intention as difficult as it was to make it – and you don't interest me. You are too arrogant to be.

She wasn't able to look him into the eyes as she lied, so when she said the last word, Hermione turned backwards and went away. She went out of the library without looking back.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Hey__!_

_Well, the title of this chapter summarize to well what happened in this chapter XD First, Hermione and Ben become friends again… thanks to Draco, and now the blond went to tease her in the library. If I were Hermione, I would've punch him and after that gave him a kiss xD but she is stronger than me… and resisted the temptation. At least for now, she has something to use against him because it was him who kissed her…_

_Thanks to the reviews =D_

_Kisses to all of you!! _

_Dry_

**Hey!!THANK YOUUU!!! Really I'm sooo happy you are liking it =D and here is my gift!! I'm updating earlier!! Thanks especially to Mistik Tink!! Thank you for reviewing every chapter, I appreciate it a lot!! Also thanks to Brickhead1992, olioli80 and wackyjacky125 for reviewing in chapter 11. I'll try to update 13 soon =) kisses&hugs!**


	13. Deep Green

_Chapter 13: Deep Green_

_Capitulo XIII: Verde hierba_

Draco stood watching how the Gryffindor went away, fighting the impulse to follow her and kiss her until she melted in his arms, proving that they both knew she was lying when she said he didn't interest her. But that could be dangerous, and now, Mrs. Pince approached surely attracted by the discussion they had just had. With irritation, he picked up the blue book and left the library.

He won't follow Granger, when the time came, it will be her who will come to him, of that he was sure. And then she will swallow her words and admit that she was crazy for him.

He smiled maliciously just thinking of it and felt a sensation of relief spreading through out his body, his vanity was being flattered. Even though she didn't recognize it, she felt attracted by him. He could see it in her eyes, he could feel her body's reaction when he was near her, and he had seen her lips trembling when he spoke of kissing her.

But she was stubborn and denied to accept it. Well… then, he will make her do it.

He smiled again, this time a true smile.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione's blood was still burning when she arrived to… ok, she didn't knew where she was. In her sudden rush to run away she just walked, climbed stairs and passed hallways until she reached a lost point in Hogwarts immensity.

Lost.

That's how she felt, in more than one way. She was still trembling and felt upset and yearning. She had her face covered in sweat and her robes stick to her body. She had been close, very close to surrender.

She beat her forehead with her hand, scolding herself mentally for her weakness. If she had fallen to her wishes, to her feelings, to her desires, right now she will be stick to Malfoy's body, kissing him desperately. Melting.

At least, in the last second she had been able to react and save her pride, or what was left of it. She had showed him that… what? What had she shown him? She had resisted, yes, but she didn't know if she was going to be able to do it again, besides, she had only lied to him but with her eyes fixed in the floor. To tell the truth she didn't think the Slytherin believed her, after all he was the master in lying and hiding, not she.

But that didn't matter anymore. She find quite ironic that what she had feared the most, now wasn't transcendent. She didn't care if Malfoy found out that she was in love of him and if he torture and bother her with that, what was really worrying was that he could love her back, or at least kiss her. Yes, if he kissed her it will be just to play with her, not because he wanted to. In fact, Hermione was completely sure that after they kissed in that lost room, he had washed his mouth in a way that will make Hermione's parents proud.

Men, she spit. Even though she knew that it wasn't about all men. It was just about _him. _He was the only man that could do something that displeased him just for the satisfaction of humiliating her, to bend her… to make her loose her mind for him. Not in her worst nightmares she had imagined that Malfoy will act that way when he found or guessed her feelings. Some months ago she will have bet that he will laugh at her until he was dead. She had never imagined that he will put honey in her lips, that he will tempt her to kiss him.

She didn't like all of this. Why was Malfoy acting like that? Nothing fit, anything had sense. She had become crazy, and it seemed… that Malfoy had too.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione said good bye to Harry, Ron and Ginny. They were going to the quidditch field for one of their weekly practices and now she was going to have a few hours of peace without making excuses or lying. She grabbed her bag and head at a lowly step to the library, even though on the inside her heartbeat was raising with expectation. Going to the library had become an authentic danger.

Before all this, that place had been her sanctuary, her refugee, the place where she was able to find a little peace. It was true that during fourth year, Victor Krum and his fan club visits had altered her peace but after the Triwizard Tournament ended, everything came back to normal. None of her friends came with her, just during exam periods and because she insisted.

And of course, Draco Malfoy was not often seen there. Hermione had never seen him in the library but once or twice, until this year. The world had turned upside down, now he went almost the same time the Gryffindor did, and though when she arrived he wasn't there, she never knew when he could appear. It had been just a few days after their last encounter but, every time she saw Malfoy in class or in the hallways, he had thrown her a gaze that worried her. He had watch her cunningly almost with a smile on his lips, as if he knew something she didn't and of course he appeared to be so self confident.

Hermione had never kept to much hope that after she rejected him, he believed that she felt nothing for him, that's why it was not that arrogant and smug gaze with which he looked at her what made her legs tremble. It was that shrewd and hidden shine that she had discovered deep in his eyes.

She swallowed hard trying not to think of that and grabbing her backpack, went to the library. She doubted before entering but when she did, she was comforted by the fact that Malfoy wasn't there. Just in case, she decided to sit in the most far away and hidden table she could find, and after taking out a couple of books, she sat down.

She studied for more than an hour feeling more deep in it, more relaxed, enjoying the study again as she once did. She changed the page with a soft smile on her lips, when she choked back a scream of surprise and panic.

Malfoy was there, approaching her table in a light and confident walk. He sat on a chair in front of the brunette and opened a book over the table, appearing not to have noticed the girl's expression maybe just by a hint of a smile in his face. Then he leaned back in the chair, with the head inclined backward, he crossed his arms and fixed his half-closed eyes on the girl he had in front.

Hermione suppressed herself to avoid the trembling. The last time he had done that, they had ended up kissing in a not innocent way. All her instincts asked her to run, the most primitive part of her was terrorized, but she was not going to please him. She had to be firm in front of him; she could not show the powerful effect that his proximity had on her. She had always been rational, except when it was about him, but if she wanted to forget him, avoid him, she must act like a rational person in every way. She continue reading, perfectly, totally conscious about the scorching and at the same time cold gaze Malfoy gave to her.

Soon she noticed that she wasn't able to read anything and that make her more nervous. She had always sought for answers in books; she thought that she will find the solution to any problem in one of the thousand volumes that were in the library. But when it involved him, she was not able to find refugee in her books and that scared her very much. She was always insecure when he was near, clumsy, dumb, insignificant, scared as a little girl. And she hated that he make her feel like that.

Run away from him was not the answer but, what could she do? How could she move him apart from her or at least that his presence didn't affect her like that?

Maybe she should get used to it. Yes. Or at least be able to handle it.

When she was resolved, she felt relieved, lighter, and able to ignore him. He provoked her, then, she was not going to run. She will confront him.

If he wanted to sit in the same table that she did, go ahead. If he wanted to spend the afternoons in the library, he was free to do it. She had her life and he wasn't painted on it, it had always been like that and will continue to be. Even though she wasn't able to read anything, she passed the pages once in a while as if she was studying completely unaware of the Slytherin's presence. She was irritating him and she feel it with delight. He was more and more rigid as time passed, he made all the noise he could, he passed and passed the pages, he cleared his throat or sighed fierce fully.

Draco was starting to get angry. She was ignoring him on purpose. How could she seem to be so calmed as if he wasn't in front of her? She should have run away or be trembling so he could be able to prove how much he affected her.

He passed a hand through his hair, messing it up, roughly, was she not going to do anything? He closed the book hardly, with a sound that bounced in the stone walls of the library making Mrs. Pince gave a start and look at him with censure, but the Gryffindor didn't move a millimeter and yawn bored. Draco had the urge to grab her from the shoulders and shake her until she look at him and screamed for help, at least with that he will knew if he existed for her. Why did she do all that? He knew she was crazy for him… or not? All fit, the letter to Krum, those kisses, the way she trembled when he was near her… was it possible that he was wrong?

No. She was his.

He became still when the repercussions of that thought spread through his mind. His? Why would he want her to be his? She was not even worth to be his pet. She was just a filthy mudblood, a vulgar daughter of muggles, an insufferable know-it-all. The perfect student, the perfect friend, the perfect prefect. The perfect woman, he thought with repugnance.

She was an inferior creature, deplorable. She wasn't worth it. And what if she ignored him? He didn't care. She could continue hiding her nose behind those books, he didn't care. He was going to stand up and stop losing his time when he saw Dewey entering the library with a couple of books under his muscled arms.

Draco tensed and clenched his jaw when he saw the Ravenclaw approaching the table alternating his dumb excited face with the furious dumb face according who he looked, the Gryffindor or him.

The relief that Hermione felt when he saw that friendly face approaching his table was so strong that she could've run to him and hug him. Benjamin approached slowly to the table, gave a killing look to the Slytherin and then sat near Hermione, giving her a radiant smile.

- Hello Hermione – he greeted her and the girl saw that his deep green eyes were shining intensely. Had his eyes always been that beautiful deep green? Or she had she never noticed until that moment?

- Hello Ben - she answered softly, on that point Malfoy's presence was just a little dark storm cloud in the blue sky.

- I wondered… well… – Benjamin scratched his head distractedly and watched Malfoy, out of the corner of his eye, who was clenching his fists under the table dying with rage. – will you matter if we go for a walk?

- I'll love to! – she exclaimed, thanking the opportunity the Ravenclaw offered him, she could get rid of Malfoy. When she saw how Ben blushed a little she realized that she had shown herself to anxious, but she didn't care. She smiled radiantly while she picked up her book and grab her backpack. She didn't throw a look to the Slytherin when she abandoned the table with the quidditch captain of Ravenclaw, if she had done it, what was in Malfoys eyes would've chased her even in dreams.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Ben and Hermione went out to Hogwarts fields for a walk. In the distance they could see the quidditch field in which the Gryffindor team was practicing and in the opposite direction the Dark lake. Hermione felt a small shudder when she remembered what had happened there a couple of months ago. Back then everything was covered with snow but, a couple of weeks ago the snow had melted. They were now in February.

- Are you cold?

Ben's soft voice brought the Gryffindor out of her thoughts and she looked at him in silence for some seconds letting the words make sense.

- The truth is… - she started, but the Ravenclaw had already taken off his cloak and was throwing it over her shoulders. Carefully, as if she was something precious and delicate, he buttoned it up and smooth it, to be sure that the girl was well covered. Then he put the hood, moving some locks of hair and approaching to Hermione even more. The girl tried to identify what she felt with Benjamin's closeness. When Malfoy was near her she felt nervous and tense, on the other side, with Ben she felt comfortable. This, after all that had happened, was a big relief. it was nice.

Ben moved apart from Hermione when he was finished and as if he was too busy to noticed how close to the Gryffindor he had been, he blushed deeply, but didn't move.

-Hermione… - he whispered and, she felt that no one had ever said her name with such desire.

-Yes Ben? – she asked slowly, looking him into the eyes.

-Tomorrow… well, tomorrow is Valentine's day…

Hermione had to hide the hint of smile. Even though he was very attractive, very tall, very popular, Benjamin was no arrogant, he was a charming boy. He was shy and it was hard for him talking to girls but, he was always sweet, kind and courteous with her. And there was something in his look that made her feel happy with herself. She felt special. Just one person had looked at her like that: Viktor Krum.

She had thought carefully the words Malfoy had told her in the library about Dewey's feelings for her. Hermione had always been very perceptive with those things when it was about others, but she was to humble to have the same intuition when it was about her. Nevertheless, she was no fool. She knew Benjamin liked her, maybe just a little. She remembered the kiss under the mistletoe and considered that it hadn't been bad, but back then she had been very surprised to answer him. Maybe if he kissed her now, she will kiss him back. Maybe if she fell in love with Ben, she will be able to forget Malfoy.

Not maybe, she hope so…

- The answer is yes – she delimit.

- What…?

- Well, you were going to ask me to go with you to Madam Pudifoot's tea shop tomorrow right? – She asked regretting to have answered before he had asked. The next day, coinciding with Valentine's Day, they had plan a visit to Hogsmeade. Harry and Ron were going with Ginny and Lavender to Madam Pudifoot's, the tea shop were couples used to go. – Although… I'm sorry… maybe you didn't mean to ask that… and I don't want to…

She interrupted herself when Ben put a finger on her lips. Hermione looked at him with burning cheeks and then he smiled. For most of the Hogwart's girls, Benjamin Dewey was a handsome boy with his big green eyes and his athletic body. However, when he smiled he had something special; it was as if he smiled with every pore of his skin, with a sweetness that make him even more handsome. Hermione realized for the first time that she find him handsome, very handsome.

She also realized that he was about to kiss her. And of course she had no intention to move apart.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Hello!_

_Mmm well if you thought that Hermione and Ben were going to kiss… you were right! Ben alias stupid and Hermione are going to Madam Pudifoot's tea shop together… how is going to take this Malfoy?_

_Thanks and kisses! _

**SORRY!! I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness… but I really don't have anytime… not even in my "vacations" if you can call them like that… I'll try to update sooner… please review!! Sorry too for the errors in my translation and thanks… and sorry again XD. Lola**


	14. Madam Pudifoot's tea shop

_Chapter 14: Madam Pudifoot's tea shop_

_Capitulo XIV: El salón de madame pudipié_

Benjamin approached her lips slowly but with security and when he put his on Hermione's mouth, she wasn't surprised, but hopeful. It was a soft and tender kiss. Benjamin barely brushed her lips for an instant, but then he hold the girl's face in his hands and brought it closer to his. Hermione half-opened her lips and softly, Benjamin took her mouth. They kissed for some long and pleasant seconds but when the Ravenclaw broke apart, Hermione realized a bit disappointed that she didn't feel anything compared to what she had experimented when Malfoy kissed her. She cursed him with the sensation that after kissing him, she was never going to be able to feel something similar with another person. It was as if he had marked her in an invisible way. As if after that kiss, she belonged to him and to no one else.

Hermione felt her eyes stinging with rage; she didn't want to feel that, not for him. She want to forget him, to feel what he make her feel but with someone else. With Dewey, with anyone. But not with him.

- Hermione? – Benjamin was looking at her with concern. Hermione looked into his eyes. She wanted to feel passion, _with him, for him. _She wanted to kiss him until he got out any other from her head.

- Kiss me – she pleaded in desperation. Ben was surprised for some seconds but then he look her seriously, grabbed her round the waist and kiss her. This time he deepened de kiss, trespassing the barriers of softness and tenderness, not holding himself back for once. Hermione felt Ben's tongue seeking for hers and eagerly went to meet it; she was dying to feel a trace of what she had felt with Malfoy. She abandoned herself to the kiss with a desperation that Ben had never met. There was something that tortured her and he could feel it, but he was willing to make her forget by dint of kisses. He held her tightly in his arms and tilt his face over hers, changing the angle of the kiss. She threw her arms to his neck and squeezed herself to him as if he was his salvation.

And in silence she begged for him to be.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Malfoy observed the two intertwined figures that were outlined over the green meadows against the orange horizon that announced night fall. He backed a few steps, moving apart from the window through which he had been watching the scene, staggering as if he had been punched. Actually it was how he felt, as if a big club had punched him in the chest. Or something worse, something sharp had gone through his heart, preventing it from beating.

He leaned against the stone wall with one only thought, and one only image in his mind. Dewey and Granger kissing.

_Kissing._

It wasn't a clumsy stolen kiss under the mistletoe. It was a true kiss. She had answered and threw her arms to his neck as days ago she had done with him.

In Christmas, Dewey had kissed her and then run cowardly. But now, by their proximity, he had no intention to leave.

He didn't want to continue looking, _he couldn't do it._

As an exhalation he walked through the hallway, without course. Damn, he felt very weak, as if he had had a strong impression and he hadn't recovered at all. After running for a while, he realized that he was acting like an idiot. He was a Malfoy. Malfoys didn't run, didn't escape as scared boys.

He wasn't scared. No. he was furious.

The anger, the pure rage, seemed to eaten up his entrails, as a corrosive acid that corrupt and contaminated everything. He could feel perfectly the wave of fury extending through out his body, covering all his extremities, his mind. He saw everything through a red mist and his heart pumped blood to fast. He could just see again and again the mudblood surrendering in the Ravenclaw's arms.

How had she dared? How could she kissed Dewy after kissing him?

_How could she kiss anyone that was not him?_

All his blood bubbled, boiled, claimed. Asking for something. That he strangled or punched someone but, the problem was that he didn't know who he hated the most.

He spit a curse.

Then he heard it, a metallic laugh, not human. There was a suit of armor at the end of the hallway, an armor that jingled with a mocking laugh. A bloody armor was laughing at him. That was more than he could handle. In a thousandth of second he was in front of the armor and in the next one, it was already in the floor, split into pieces. But he wasn't done yet, he beat and kicked the shield, the breastplate and each one of the metal pieces until he dent them and crush them. He saw everything red and spilled insults in each beat, feeling a little relief every time his boot met the metal and deformed it. While he destroyed it, the helmet was throwing grotesque metallic groans that pissed him off. He picked up the helmet and banged it against the stone wall once and twice, making a roar of rock and steel. When it was nothing more than a bunch of dented steel, he threw it away with disdain.

He removed the platinum bangs that had fallen over his eyes during his fury attack and then he saw that near the armor, was a painting full of witches and wizards, crowd together, looking at him with amazement and censure. They let out screams and insults when the boy took down the painting and tear it up with his knee. After that, he threw the frame away and breath deeply a couple of times trying to calm down.

Now that the outburst had passed he feel again weak, vulnerable, defeated. He fall onto his knees and leaned his hands on the floor. The bangs fell over his face and his eyes were fixed in the stones, like a blurred brown mass.

What was going on with him?

Why had he acted like that?

Why did seeing the mudblood and the stupid deaf kissing each other affect him like that?

The answer came very clearly into his mind, leaving a bad and bitter taste in his mouth. Jelousy. He feel jealous. He. A Malfoy.

He was jelaous of a big guy of short intelligence and without one ear because he had kissed, _was kissing, _a mudblood.

He closed his hands into fists, trying with all his strength to fight that feeling that wasn't supposed to exist inside him. He was Draco Malfoy from Slytherin. His father was a deatheater, his mother was a descendant of the Black family. They were pureblood with a linage that went back to more than five centuries of pure wizards with pure children. He was powerful, dark, clever. He was evil.

He couldn't be jealous of a mudblood. It was impossible, unreal, illogic. And however, he was there with the bitter sensation that now that he had discovered that he could be jealous, he was never going to able to forget it or ignore it.

He tried to think that it didn't mean anything… and what if he was jealous? It didn't have to mean that he had feelings for her… right?

- Draco… what does this means? – asked a voice behind his back. Draco stood up and turned slowly with a defiant air, he didn't fear Snape.

- What had happened? – insisted the professor taking out his wand to fixed the disaster. Malfoy looked at him firmly and after some seconds just shrugged, he was still full of anger and in no mood to explain anything to a professor, not even to Snape.

- Maybe… if you tell me what happened – suggested Snape patiently, with a convincing tone – I could save you from detention. _Reparo! _

While the armor shrink, fixed and was put into its original place as if nothing had touched it, Draco neither move nor stopped looking at Snape.

- Draco… - by his tone you could say that Snape was starting to loose his patience – tell me what happened…

- Severus! What's all this? – asked the strict voice of professor McGonagall, who was approaching from the end of the hallway with his eyes fixed in the destroyed painting hanging gloomily. In the reigning silence, McGonagall moved his eyes from Snape to Malfoy, stopping in the last one.

- It was you Mr. Malfoy? – she asked in a blaming tone. Draco just lifted his face arrogantly and pressed his lips with disdain.

- Severus, I hope you will punish him and take some points off from your house, so the boy will learn not to destroy Hogwarts furniture.

- Minerva, I don't think it will be necessary… - started Snape looking irritated.

- He will be forbidden to go to Hogsmeade tomorrow – continued the professor ignoring his fellow. Snape look at Draco, who didn't matter to be grounded, and sighed with resignation.

- Fine. Malfoy won't go to Hogsmeade tomorrow.

Draco shrugged again unconcerned.

- Can I leave now? – he asked, and not waiting for an answer he went away.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Hermione said good-bye to Luna after she had asked her about a million times that she must not go to Madam Pudifoot's tea shop because, as the Quibbler said, it was just a cover from were they got money to finance the Elzohairs, little goblins that put itchy powder on people's underwear; and calmly went to the tea shop, were Harry and Ron will be with Ginny and Lavender. Where Benjamin Dewey will be waiting for her.

She tried to analize what does that make her feel, but she wasn't quite sure. After kissing him like that the day before, nothing was clear. She hadn't felt the same like with Malfoy, but she had felt well, for the first time in weeks. She had been able to forget him for some minutes, even though it just made her remember him more intensely. What does that meant? Was she going to have any possibility to fall in love with Ben?

She couldn't forget the words he had told her yesterday when they separate.

"_Give me the whole day tomorrow, Hermione, just for me. And at nightfall I will make you a question, of which I hope to convince you that the answer will be a yes." _

Then he had kissed her briefly and left the place, giving little jumps. Hermione had hear him give a shout of joy when, of course, he thought she couldn't hear him. She had smiled. Ben was so good with her… he was so nice…

Why had she put her eyes in the Slytherin? In Benjamin everything was good; in Malfoy… it was hard to find the most minimum air of kindness. Deep in her thoughts, she entered Madam Pudifoot's tea shop. The place was a small building full of small round tables with lace tablecloths, quilted stools and crystal lamps. She saw some couples and unconsciously she found herself looking for Malfoy and Parkinson in a corner, but there was no sight of them. She greeted Harry, Ginny, Lavender and Ron (the last one was a little bit hostile since she told them she was also going to the tea shop, with Benjamin Dewey) and then she went to sit to the table in which the smiling Ravenclaw was waiting. He had a big smile that gave him a sweet air that Hermione found nice.

- Hello Hermione – he greeted her while she sat down ant took off the scarf – for an instant I thought you weren't coming.

Hermione stopped what she was doing and looked at him tenderly, Ben tried to pretend security but she could read in his green eyes the fear he had had that she didn't show up. The fear that maybe she was going to regret what had happened the day before.

- Why shouldn't I come? – she asked smiling softly.

- Well… today is Valentines Day and I girl like you… I feared that you realized that… with whom you were going to be and had thought it better – he explained nervously and stammering.

- A girl like me? – she asked not understanding.

- Yes – he said looking at her with shining eyes – I'm sure that you've received many offers to come here and…

Hermione couldn't help a laugh. Popular? She? In all her life just two persons have been interested in her: one was in Bulgaria and the other sitting in front of her.

- You're wrong Ben – she answered with a funny smile in her lips – I'm not very popular.

- I don't believe it – he insisted frowning as if she was making fool of him – anyone will pay to be in my place… you are so intelligent an so pretty…

The girl felt how here cheeks burned. She knew that Ben didn't say that to flatter her but, because he really thought that about her. She scold herself mentally when she thought from whom she would've like to hear that.

She and Ben had a pleasant afternoon in the Tea Shop. After drinking red rose tea and chatting a while with Harry, Ginny and Lavender (Ron was there, but he didn't take part in the conversation and just watch his tea frowning) they went for a walk in Hogsmeade. They entered Zonko and Honeydukes, where Ben bought her a flower with red petals that released magic dust with a sweet scent and cried "You are special!", every time it was smelled. Then they went to drink butter beer to the Three Broomsticks.

When Ben went to the toilet, Hermione looked around and found Luna sitting alone in a table near the door, with an intact butter beer and her big blue eyes lost in the infinity. Worried, she stood up and went to sit beside Luna.

- Luna, are you ok?

The girl took a long time to answer, when she did, she looked at Hermione, blinking a couple of times as if she had just woke up from a dream.

- Did you see an Elzohair in the tea shop? – she asked in a dreamy voice. Hermione relaxed.

- None – she answered – what are you doing here alone? Do you want to come an sit with Ben and me?

- I don't think Benjamin Dewey will like that – she answered honestly. Hermione felt awkward, she didn't think Ben will mind, but she suspected that he will prefer them to be alone.

- Don't say nonsense, he won't mind.

- Benjamin is good, I like him – answered Luna seriously – sometimes he defends me when they called me loony in the Common Room. The other day he jinxed Terry Boot for trying to steal my cork necklace and use it as a belt for Skipper Fontaine. He is a kind boy, I don't want to mess up his afternoon.

Hermione felt split for the affection towards Ben that transmit Luna's words and the embarrassing sensation that provoke her friend's sincerity. Although, there was a sad tone in her voice Hermione had never listened before.

- Luna, is something wrong? Are you alright?

- Oh, I'm fine Hermione. Are you worried for me? – she looked at Hermione almost with surprise and then smiled softly – you are so kind, you are always good to me and Ginny treats me well – she smiled sweetly, as if she couldn't believe it but then, her face hardened – it's just that I'm alone – she said, and Hermione felt how her heart shrink – well, surrounded by Pumpikers but that doesn't mind – she added shaking her hand in the air as if to scared a… whatever Pumpikers were.

- You are not alone – replied the Gryffindor annoyed – I'm with you, I'm…

- I don't mean that. Today, everyone has a partner; everyone went to Madame Pudifoot's Tea Shop. Is not that I care because Madame Pudifoot is an allied to the Elzohairs but, it will be nice that someone would like to go with me.

Hermione felt again in a embarrasing situation. Luna had the disconcerting costume of telling the truth, and even though that it seemed she was always in the moon thinking of pumpikers, snorckacks and elzohairs, she was the most realistic and honest person she knew. She knew that because of being the daughter of the Quibbler, her cork necklace and her theories about nonexistent magical creatures, many people thought she was a freak and make fun of her. And as much as she want to comfort her, Hermione couldn't tell her that she was wrong.

- After all I couldn't be able to enter – said Luna with a sigh of resignation – the Pumpikers and the Elzohairs don't get along very well. Oh, Benjamin has returned from the toilet, go back with him.

-Luna, are you sure you don't want to come with us? You don't have to…

- The syndapus have orange wings? – asked Luna, Hermione looked at her worringly – Yes. That is my answer, I'm sure I don't want to go with you. Go with Benjamin Dewey and have a good time – she said.

Hermione looked at her undecided but in that instant Luna unfolded a copy of the Quibbler and putting it upside down she started reading it. Sighing she returned with Ben, but Luna's words had soaked deep inside her. She too knew how it feels to be alone and object of someone's mockery. She knew it thanks to the person with whom she would've wanted to go to Madame Pudifoot's Tea Shop.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_H__ellooo! _

_Well, here is the next chapter :) a Little longer and I love it, I hope you too. Many things have taken place… you can see that Hermione and Ben had had quite a snog XD and Draco saw it all… and he acted a little rude with that poor suite of armor… so he is grounded and he's not able to go to Hogsmeade and ruin Hermione's date… Luna has come out… I love that character. I've introduced some weird notes… like the Elzohairs XD and some of that stuff… __I hope you like it _

_I want to thank the reviews, thank you very much for Reading the story and for giving your opinion._

_What do you think will happen next?_

_Kisses!_

**Here is the next chapter! I was a little bit late, but I hope you'll like it. Sorry for the grammar lol. Special Thanks to Mystic Tink… really!! Your reviews encourage me! Enjoy it!! And pleeeasee please review :) Lola**


	15. Forgetting the snake

_Chapter 15: Forgetting the snake _

_Capitulo XV: Olvidar a la serpiente_

After her chat with Luna, Hermione was sad and thoughtful, so son she asked Ben to return to Hogwarts because she was in no mood to continue chatting in the Three Broomsticks. She put on the scarf distractedly, picked up the flower which conveniently screamed to her that she was great and walked toward the exit with Ben. She was so deep in her thoughts that when she bumped with Pansy Parkinson, before getting out of the place, she didn't recognize her.

Hermione, are you alright? – asked Ben while they took the road that united Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.

-Eh… yes, yes – she assured him, making herself back to reality. Ben didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, even though he didn't stop looking nervously at her from the corner of his eye, but Hermione was to thoughtful to notice. She didn't see how Ben's hand approached hers, hesitant, she just felt the long and big fingers from the boy entwine with hers. She lifted her face and looked at him, and the expression in the Ravenclaw's face made her smile. He was so sweet…

-I want… well, I… - Ben looked at her completely blushed and Hermione felt his hand shaking between hers – you see… you… me… us… pff… - he sighed and open and closed his mouth a several times trying to continue with his speech.

-Relax Ben – she whispered half amused half worried. She knew that it was her that made him so nervous, and as much as she wanted to deny it, it was nice to provoke that in someone.

-Let's see… this is hard… - he scratched his forehead and squeezed Hermione's hand – I know… I'm gonna… well… - he interrupted himself, looked her seriously and without expecting it, he kissed her. It was a soft and sweet kiss, a very slow kiss, as if Ben wanted to taste her more than caress her. When they broke apart, he was neither blushed nor trembling, but his eyes shine more intensely and Hermione felt the boy's hand soaked in cold sweat.

-When I kiss you – he said with more composure than before – I'm so dazzled that I can't be nervous – Hermione blushed under the intense gaze of the Ravenclaw – I want to ask you something and I hope that your answer will be a yes.

Hermione breathed deeply, guessing what will come next.

-I will like to… if you want… - Ben inhale deeply and took both of her hands – do you want to be my girlfriend?

It was what she had imagined. Not that it wasn't expected after the way they had kissed the day before. She wanted to say yes but, she wasn't sure that it was fair for Ben. Even though she liked to be with him and that he kissed her, her heart belonged to someone else. To someone that only enjoyed stamping on it and breaking it…

-Ben… I must be honest with you – she decided looking uncomfortably at him – there is someone else…

-Do you have something with someone else? – interrupted Ben, with an incredible sad face that made Hermione to want to hug him.

-No – she assured – I've never had anything with that person and never would. I want to forget him but I haven't achieved it yet, so I don't think it is fair for you that I say yes if…

-I don't care – said Ben, squeezing her hands with a desperate look – I don't care that you still got feelings for him… the only thing that matters to me is that you could feel it for me. Give me a chance Hermione; let me help you to forget him.

The girl looked at him intensely for some long seconds. Then she slowly nodded and threw herself to the Ravenclaw's arms wishing that she had made the correct decision.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Draco went down the stairs that went into the Common Room, he was really angry. He had spent the whole afternoon at Snape's office making the weekend homework. Snape hadn't gave him a special duty, he just told him to sit and try not waste the time he had lost in his "childish tantrum", as he had called it. Draco did not speak to him in the three hours he had been stuck in there, he just watch him indifferently and heard him coolly. After taking out quill and parchment, he had written with fury an essay for Transfiguration. The torturous hours had pass slowly, and even though he had tried to erase with all his might the image of Dewey and Granger kissing passionately, all was in vain.

But that wasn't the worse part, the worst were the questions. What else had happened between them? Were they spending Valentine's Day together? Were they kissing in the linens in Madame Pudifoot's Tea Shop? Just to think about it made his blood boil. And he had made dozens of holes in the parchment because of the fury with which he was writing, or rather scribbling nonsense.

Draco wasn't used to feeling that way. When he wanted something, he got it. When something was upsetting him, he finished it. When someone challenged him, he destroyed him. It was about being a Malfoy.

Draco! You're finally back! – Pansy was sitting in the armrest of a big green velvet armchair, in which many times, Draco had sat with her in his lap. Now she looked at him in a suggestive way, pointing the armchair so he will sit there.

The Slytherin barely threw her a look and took the opposite direction. He was not in the mood of dealing with Pansy. If she dare to complain again of him getting grounded on Valentine's Day, he will strangle her. Maybe that will help to relieve his anger.

Draco! Wait! – she whimpered following him – what's wrong with you?

He didn't slowed down his step for her to reach him, in fact, the most kind thing he could do for her, was precisely prevent her from reaching him. However, when he felt Pansy's skinny had grab his forearm he stopped and looked at her with lack of interest.

What do you want? – he barked coolly – say whatever you want and go away, but I warn you I'm not in the mood to hear your nonsense.

Why do you treat me like that? – she asked with her eyes full of tears. Draco couldn't help a face of disdain, since when she was so unbearable and annoying? – I return earlier from Hogsmeade just to see you because I knew you were going to be alone and you…

I didn't ask you to do it – he replied sharply.

But I did it anyway – Pansy's eyes were shiny because of her tears – besides, I has to spend the day with Millicent Bullstrode knowing that the filthy little mudblood had a date in…

Draco tensed immediately.

That mudblood with a date? – he asked adding all the disdain and indifference he was able to his words. Pansy looked at him for some instants and then, very slowly, smiled with complicity.

Yes. I saw her with the stupid of Benjamin Dewey, from Ravenclaw. Hesper Woods told me that they were at Madam Pudifoot's tea shop, it seemed they were very engrossed and I saw the going out from the Three Broomsticks. Holding hands… - she added with delight, watcking Draco. If she expected to find some reaction, some hint of a feeling in the Slytherin's face, she found nothing. He seemed like a stone, with the jaws tightened fierce fully and the body rigid. He didn't move.

Very touching – he spit with disgust being careful in not letting other feeling out that was not repugnance.

You know? I would've love that you took me to Madam Pudifoot's tea shop – said Pansy while she blinked seductively. When did he found her attractive? She was just a fool, silly and ridiculous girl. Compared with Granger she don't even… Draco forced himself to stop that thought. Compared with Granger? What-the-hell-was-he-doing-comparing-Granger-with-his-dates?

He made himself direct his thoughts into the Slytherin girl and he watched her fixedly for some seconds. She wasn't ugly, dark haired, black eyes, pale skin. In the past he had thought she was beautiful but now… he was tired of her. Yes. That was all.

It have been a long time since he last visited Emergande, Lorraine or Lavinia. Maybe he should do it, he thought with a malicious smirk.

- Draco – she whispered to get back his attention.

- What makes you think I would have taken you there? – he replied disdainfully. Pansy shrank, as if he had beat her physically, and with a hand she covered her trembling lips trying to contain the tears. Draco watch her with a bored expression, he knew what till come next. Now she will start crying, throw to his neck and will tell him how cruel he was being with her. She will tell him how much she loved him and many more bullshit, until he could not bare it anymore, and will kiss her to make her shut up. He decided to spear himself from the little scene. Roughly, he held her from the neck, brought her to him and kissed her violently; with too much strength that Pansy thought he would break her mouth.

And that was what he wanted. He wanted to break her mouth, sink his hands in her body, and rip her cloak. Torture her, bother her until she'll scream his name and dug her nails in his back. Maybe with that, just with that, he will be able to get Granger's lips out of his mind.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

When Hermione arrived to Gryfifndor Tower she felt strange. On one side she felt free from a charge but, she thought to have taken another one. She had given one more step in her determination to forget the Slytherin, even though she probably hadn't chosen the best way. She had always heard that a new worry takes your mind off the old one, but Malfoy was not a worry. He was a huge problem.

She sighed deeply and forced herself to think of Ben. Now they were a couple. Hermione that being with him will be easy and nice. They will study together, talk, kissed once in a while. He won't ask for answers, won't demand anything, they won't fight. She just had to let herself be loved, and that was a new and wonderful feeling. It was nice that for once in her life someone will care for her and not in the other way. She tried to ignore the stab of… guilt? That she felt.

She didn't have to feel guilty. She wasn't harming anybody. Ben knew there was someone else and he didn't care. But she didn't feel guilty for that. In some remote place of her heart, she felt she was betraying Malfoy. As if some way she was being… unfaithful.

- What a fool – she mumbled. In the Common Room, sitting in the armchairs near the fire were Ron, Harry and Ginny, the last one sitting on the brunette's lap. All greeted her and Hermione had the temptation to run to her room and reject the invitation of joining them, but she forced herself to go with her friends. She didn't plan letting Malfoy ruin his humor of being around people.

- Hermione, you are very late – said Ginny with shrewdness and an accomplice smile – I thought you had leaved Hogsmeade before we did. Ron next to him was getting redder.

- Well… I was distracted – she answered blushing while she sat next to Harry, who was watching her fixedly from the chimney as if she was very interesting.

- How was it with Dewey? – insisted Ginny smiling. Hermione saw when Harry craftily pinched the red haired, as to warn her to leave the questioning. The brunette knew that probably Ron will not like to know that she was with Ben, but sooner or later he would find out and Hermione preferred sooner.

- Well, I guess – she felt her cheeks burning below Ron's piercing and frowning gaze.

- So? – insisted the girl – are you dating?

-Ron! – exclaimed Harry nervously while he pointed with his finger something behind the red haired boy – look, there comes Lavender and…

- I don't care – cut the boy, with his eyes fixed on Hermione. She breathed deeply a couple of times fearful of her friend's reaction, but there was nothing she could do but tell the truth.

- Yes, we are together – she answered with he reyes fixed on her hands.

- Who? – asked Lavender, who had just arrived. She sat on Ron's knees without realizing how tense he was and observed Hermione with curiosity, and she would've swore, that with a little bit of malice too.

- The stupid of Dewey and Hermione – spitted Ron with resentment.

- Well, that's wonderful Hermione! – exclaimed the girl while she patted her in the hands – he is a very handsome boy, truly, and keeper, like Ron.

Lavender's last words feel the atmosphere with a tension that everyone could feel. Hermione wanted to leave as soon as she could, but she didn't thought of a way to escape.

- Yes – Ron's voice broke the silence, it sound rough and heavy, it sounded more like a bird's squawk.

- Oh, Won-Won, don't be like that – Lavender threw a silly laugh, Harry and Ginny exchanged alarmed looks – Dewey is not as handsome and as good keeper as you.

Hermione could feel how Ginny and Harry sighed in relief, but Ron started to mumble something under his voice, she was able to understand "stupid", "bludger" and "deaf", but Lavender interrupted his speech sinking her tongue very deep on his throat. For the first time, in a very long time, Hermione was happy that Lavender and Won-Won had a few-word-relationship, and murmuring an apology to Ginny and Harry, she left to her dormitory.

Once inside, she felt secure and relieved. At least Ron already knew and even though she suspected that he will be upset for a few days, he will forget it. After all he had no right to claim him nothing and with Dewey he couldn't use the excuse of "fraternizing with the enemy". She sat on her bed while she took off her boots and Crookshanks arrived immediately to lay in her lap. The girl scratched behind his ears with a distracted air, unable to stop thinking of her decision.

Now she was Ben's girlfriend.

As a shooting star, a maliciously satisfying thought crossed her mind. What will Malfoy think when he saw them together?

For some seconds she imagined with delight that he was dying with jealousy but soon she censured that. He won't be jealous, and even if he did, she must not care. After all she had made a decision: she will forget the snake.

**o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Hello!!_

_Here I come again with one more chapter! Well, Hermione and Ben are togheter… she is hopeful to be able to forget Malfoy… do you think she'll succeed? And Draco is VERY jealous XD as always Pansy is the winner. Hermione's friends already now and it seems Ron is not very happy at all… XD_

_I hope you'll like it!_

_Thanks for the reviews!_

_Kisses_

_Dry!_

**Hello people! Here is another chapter… a Little late… but here it is. I'm such a baaad person! But I don't have a life… so… I don't have time to translate… but I will continue doing my best. Hope you will enjoy it!! PLEASE REVIEW!! That makes me want to continue… Kisses! Lola =)**


	16. Just mine

**Chapter 16: Just mine**

**Capitulo XVI: Sólo mía **

The next day, Hermione went alone to the Great Hall. She couldn't handle the mood in the Common Room, after her friends knew she was with Dewey. Ron had completely ignored her, not a single word and soon enough he had engaged himself in a tongue battle with Lavender, which Hermione was thankful for because she seemed more interested and excited about her relationship with Dewey and didn't stopped asking uncomfortable questions that tensed and pissed Ron off.

Ginny and Harry tried to maintain a conversation that simulated normality, but there were awkward silences and worried glances between them. Neville, who that morning accompanied them, was disoriented for the reigning atmosphere so he barely spoke a word. So, after a long, tedious and tense hour, Hermione stood up from her sofa and with the excuse of eating quickly to go to the library, slipped away. She wasn't hungry at all but eating was much better that being one more hour with her friends.

She sat on the almost empty Gryffindor table and ate calmly with her eyes fixed on the plate and her mind lost in her thoughts until someone gently touched her shoulder.

Ben! – she exclaimed while forcing herself to show a smile even though she wasn't happy at all.

Hello Hermione – he kissed her furtively on the cheek and then watch her with shiny eyes as if he yet couldn't believe she existed – have you finished?

Yes – she answered giving her glass of pumpkin juice the last drink and standing up – did you eat?

What? Ah… ah! No, no, I think I haven't – he said blinking a few times as if he had just woke up – let's go for a walk?

But… you should eat first…

I'll eat later! – he exclaimed making a move with his hand as if eating wasn't something important or necessary for being alive. Hermione couldn't avoid laughing a little bit ashamed but feeling flattered.

Let's go – Ben held his hand to her with a radiant smile. Returning the smile, Hermione took the hand he offered without noticing the pair of icy eyes that were watching her.

While Dewey and Hermione went out of the Great Hall, Draco pressed the golden goblet with such strength that his knuckles and part of his fingers went pale, the silver serpent ring that was in his middle finger cracked by the pressure against the goblet. But he didn't feel it at all, he had the sharp, burning need of going after Dewey and throw him an _Avada Kedavra_.

Malfoy, are you all right?- Zabini observed him curiously and mockingly. Draco gave him a killing look and pressed even more the goblet until his ring gave up and with a crack broke up, sinking its edge on his hand's pale flesh, he didn't notice.

Draco! You are bleeding! – cried Pansy dumbstruck as she saw how weak strings of red blood ran down his fingers offering a scary contrast with his pale skin. It took Draco a while to assimilate her words and then, indifferently he examined his hand and observed the dense drop of blood in his knuckles but not even then he felt pain.

Why would it matter if he was bleeding? He pressed more fiercely and the blood flow easily, but he didn't found the comfort of physical pain to kill the intangible grief that was stabbing his heart.

Draco, stop now! – Pansy horrified watched his hand. Crabbe and Goyle had their mouths completely opened. Draco just ignored them – Zabini do something!

The boy seemed to think it twice before grabbing the blonde's wrist but he didn't bat an eyelash.

Malfoy, what the hell is going on? – asked Zabini, watching him with arrogance and despise. Draco watched him wildly and warningly before posing his eyes on Zabini's hang. It wasn't necessary for him to say nothing else, Zabini felt the danger and slowly, very slowly, loosen up his hand and released Malfoy's wrist.

Draco watched him pursing the lips with disdain. The he fixed his eyes on his hand still pressing the goblet and something called his attention over the paleness of his skin and the darkness of his blood. One drop of deep red slide until it reached the green emerald stone that was in the center of his ring, hiding half of the sphere and making a kind of Yin and Yang.

But there was no black and white, but scarlet and emerald green.

Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Hermione smiled while she followed Harry and Ron to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Even though it hurt that the red haired didn't talk to her, she have decided to ignore him. The evening before, after having a walk with Ben in Hogwart's fields and talked about many things, she had told him about the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare and he had supported her. Then, when he told him that sometimes he went to the kitchens to visit the elves, Ben asked her to go visit them. While she spoke with Winky and Dobby, Ben had asked the elves to prepare them a light dinner, which they gave him in a basket without Hermione noticing it. When time for dinner approached he surprised her with a pic-nic near the Dark Lake. Even though they were in February and it was a little cold, the evening was amazing and after dinner, Ben had kissed her for a long time. Hermione felt cheerful, not just because she had had a good time, but because Ben had made her forget Malfoy for many hours, which lately had seemed impossible.

But that didn't stop her from staying awake at night thinking of the Slytherin.

Removing that bitter memory, Hermione entered the class putting a lock of hair beside her ear while she walked to her desk.

Well well well, look who we have here – said a girly voice and Hermione knew immediately that Pansy Parkinson was talking about her. She was sitting next to Draco and Zabini. The girl smiled with malice and satisfaction, Zabini just watch Hermione with his face lifted and his eyes half opened and Malfoy… it looked as if he wanted to kill her with his icy eyes.

Harry approached Hermione watching the three Slytherins menacingly, but Ron sat in his desk, indifferent.

But it is the crawling and climbing mudblood – said Pansy with a sweet voice, loaded with evil – I must recognized, know-it-all, that you are smarter than I thought.

What are you talking about? – inquired abruptly Harry, frowning.

That in spite of being a daughter of muggles – she said as if it was the lowest and humiliating thing in the world – had achieved to get involved with a pureblood boy…

A blood traitor – correct Zabini with icy tone and raising his head.

Oh Blaise, maybe is not all his fault. Is too possible that she mend to use a love potion, in other way it will be impossible that Dewey could see something in her…

Hermione lowered her shoulders almost imperceptibly. Parkinson's words had brought her memories… they were almost the same words Malfoy had said after kissing her. The girl look at him with eyes full of offence but he just watched her fixed and seriously, totally unexpressive.

Why don't you shut up Parkinson? – snapped Harry angrily.

I don't think that any love potion could be strongly enough to make any pure wizard to see the less interesting thing in… - Zabini watch Hermione up and down with disgust – in that…

Hermione had to made a strong effort to control the sting in her eyes, but the she saw Harry pulling his wand out, ready to hex Zabini and before he could do it, she grabbed her arm, immobilizing it.

Harry, leave them… - she begged – is better to ignore them… don't pay attention to them.

Pansy burst out into laughing stupidly, in a way that made Draco want to strangle her. All of his body was tense, his fists closed, his jaws pressed in an effort to contain himself of throwing an unforgivable curse. But not to Granger or Potter, but to Pansy and Zabini…

You know? Long time ago I thought you could make a good couple with the know-it-all, Potter – continued Pansy with mocking voice – but the truth is that I don't wish that to anybody… not even to my worst enemy…

In that moment many things happen. Hermione couldn't contain Harry's arm anymore, and he released it to point Pansy, but Zabini had also brought out his wand to attack him, and Draco Malfoy had stood up abruptly. A tense silence grew up, in which everyone stood alert ant still, waiting for the minimum provocation to throw a curse.

Potter, why do you defend this mudblood? – asked Zabini without stop pointing him with his wand – what does that… thing… has between her legs that makes everybody crazy?

Harry, pissed off, opened his mouth to throw a curse at the same time Zabini did, but a voice interrupted both.

Shut up Zabini! – spit Malfoy furiously. Hermione drown a moan of surprise and without moving her gaze from the blonde, grabbed Harry's arm again.

What have you said Malfoy? – asked Zabini very slowly and with a defiant tone, without lowering his wand he turned to face his house mate, now pointing him.

I told you to shut up – answered Malfoy fiercely watching Zabini's wand as if it was just a candy and Hermione thought that the last thing she would like was to be Zabini in that moment.

But, Draco, what…- started Pansy, astonished.

And you too Pansy – silenced her Draco with a threatening air – shut up both of you and stop picking on her. Granger is mine. _Just mine._

Hermione felt a click in her heart when she heard those words and all her hair stand on end. Something inside her had recognized those words as a _sentence, _a sentence that against every forecast and logic she wanted to fulfill…

In the tangible tension and the reigning skeptical silence, a pair of hazel eyes and one of the color of the ice met and recognized.

_His, _thought Hermione, in some way she already was. It was the first time she fall in love, the first time she felt something that deep, which however was condemned to die. She had known it since the beginning, and because of that she had fought her feelings until she was not able to deny them. She knew that she had no chance with him, and even though it was, they could never be together. He was a Slytherin and she was a Gryffindor. Heaven and hell. Black and White. Velvet and sandpaper.

And, it didn't matter that they couldn't be together, those two words of the Slytherin, _"Just mine", _make her feel alive. Draco stared at her lividly. What had he said? He had said too much! Why had he care that Zabini and Pansy were picking on her? He didn't care that the called her mudblood, thing or that Zabini insinuate that she was…

He couldn't think of it without making his blood boil. He wanted to cut his venomous tongue so he could never again talk about her, and Pansy's too. Pair of…

Be careful, he said. Why did he care? Why had he defended her? He seek desperately for an answer that was coherent and he found it. As he had told Zabini and Pansy, Granger was his. For his use and personal entertainment, no one else could bother her. Just him.

He hadn't defended her, but what was his. He had saved her life; it was fair that he had the monopoly in what involver Granger.

When Snape enter tha classroom he found Parkinson, Zabini and Potter with their mouths half-opened watching Malfoy as if he had two heads and a shaked Granger. Behind them, Weasley was raising his wand and with his face livid, Brown had the same astonished look that the rest of the class that observed them from their desks, just Longbottom was paralyzed.

What is going on here? – asked Snape heatedly and all appeared to wake up form their charm and react. Neville sat down and the rest of the class started to arrange their things. Everyone sat slowly, but the last ones to sat down were Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger, and when they did it, their heart beat uncontrollably.

Hermione Granger's for what she had just heard.

And Draco Malfoy for what he had just said.

_Hello!_

_Here is the next chapter! __Is a Little bit short but I think pretty much intense XD. In the first place you can sense Draco's jealousness of seeing Ben and Hermione (I hope you like Ben) and second, for one time Draco did something good, he defend Hermione. __Had he uncovered himself too much? _

_Thanks!_

_Dry _

**Well… here is another chapter. It is a short one so… I'll try to update sooner. PLEASE sorry for my terrible grammar, as someone made me notice… I think, and it seems that I need to find a beta reader… Thanks for the reviews! And… please REVIEW!! Lol… =) kisses Lola**


	17. Pieces

**Chapter 17: Pieces**

**Capitulo XVII: Fragmentos **

When the long class of Defense Against the Dark Arts finished, Draco Malfoy was the first one to stand up and leave the dungeons. Neither Zabini nor Pansy followed him, but Snape watched carefully as the blonde boy picked up his things with speed.

Hermione, on the other hand, didn't want to leave or move from there. During the whole class she had felt everybody's gaze on her, as though she had suddenly grown two heads. She knew that Harry and Ron would be disconcerted and surprised about Malfoy's words, perhaps even more than she was. Once more she felt guilty about hiding her feelings for Malfoy and the kiss (_the kisses)_ that they had exchanged few days ago. But, what could she do? She knew that Harry and Ron would be mad with her and that if she confessed everything; they would consider her a traitor. Harry hated Malfoy more than anyone in the world, except maybe Voldemort and Snape. How would he handle knowing that his best friend had fallen in love with him? Hermione couldn't say that this hate was unjustified. Harry could never forgive her and neither would she if he discovered her feelings. It was not that Harry meddled with other's life or judge it for being with someone as Ron did; he hadn't said anything about her relationship with Dewey, but if someday she had something with Malfoy it would be very different.

And Ron, she could not even imagine his reaction. He had always been a little overprotective when it was about her. He didn't like her to have boyfriends but Harry and himself… maybe Neville too. He had been hostile and hurtful when she had been with Krum and he hadn't talked to her the day before she started dating Dewey. With Malfoy he will see his ideas reinforced, he will have a real motive to justify his hatred and condemnation, and if Harry backs him up, things will be worse.

Harry and Ron had always been her best friends, but there were things they could never be able to understand. Sometimes she felt really lonely when she was with them. She knew they loved her and cared for her, but Harry and Ron were best friends, and then she was there. They had quidditch and she had her books. They were always ready to break the rules and she was the one who resisted but in the end she gave up and joined them, to protect them in some way. Now Harry was with Ginny and Ron with Lavender; another thing that brought them apart.

- Hermione? – Harry stood up in front of her, books in hand, Ron was already leaving through the door. The classroom was empty.

- Yes, I'm coming – she answered leaving her thoughts and picking up her things.

- Hey… don't you think Malfoy is behaving… strange? – asked Harry. Hermione had feared something like that but even still she couldn't avoid the top of the ink bottle slipping through her fingers. She kneeled quickly to pick it up and appeared to be concentrating.

- Well… I don't know – she answered evasively.

- Before… it looked like he was defending you – Harry insisted resentful and with his green eyes fixed on the girl.

- I don't think it was that. I'm sure he just wanted Zabini and Parkinson to leave me alone so he could bother me exclusively – she answered. It was the only reasonable explanation she was able to find.

- Yes, it could be that.

Harry was happy with the answer, even though Hermione still had some doubts, so she quickly grabbed her bag and left the room before her friend could ask more questions. Just leaving the room she ran into Ron, who was standing in the middle of the hallway with his face reddening with disgust. Hermione watched him for a while without understanding, but when she followed his gaze, she understood. Ben was there with a little bouquet of strange, exotic, violet flowers. Hermione recognized them because she had read about them in the Herbology book; they were Brunfelsia flowers, with venomous properties, used in many potions.

- Hello Hermione! – greeted Ben with a radiant smile, he passed Ron as if he didn't exist.

- Hi Ben – she answered a little intimidated by Ron's presence. She wanted to take Ben out of there so she grabbed him quickly by the arm and took him to the empty room of Defense Against the Dark Arts, passing by Harry.

- What's wrong? – asked Ben, surprised by the girls roughness as she was closing the door.

- Am… nothing – she answered feeling more secure now that they were away from everyone's eyes - are those for me?

- Yes – answered the boy blushing – Professor Sprout told us today about the properties of Brunfelsia and I thought you would might like them…

Hermione took the little bouquet and inhaled the fragrance with a smile. Ben was so attentive… they had never given her flowers. Speaking of it, no one had ever given her a gift when it wasn't her birthday or Christmas. And this was Ben's second gift in just a couple of days.

- Thanks Ben… I love them.

Ben smiled deeply and scratched his chin embarrassed. Hermione found the gesture so charming, and approaching him, she kissed him softly on the lips. When they separated, they both were smiling.

Then Ben took one flower from the bouquet in Hermione's hands and moving a brown lock, he put it carefully behind one of the girl's ears, caressing her neck with his fingers. Hermione felt herself redden beneath the intense gaze of the Ravenclaw and she shuddered slightly when he kissed the ear where the flower was resting.

In that same moment, the room's door opened and a blonde boy crossed it with a concentrated air, as if he was looking for something he was sure he would find in there. He was paralyzed when he raised his eyes from the desk, where he had forgotten his quill in his rush to get out of class, and saw two people against the wall.

The moment he recognized them as Granger and Dewey, he felt a punch in his chest. She had her face raised toward the Ravenclaw, her cheeks blushed and a violet flower behind one of her ears, and he was kissing her right there.

They looked like two lovers that secretly met in any empty room to be alone, to kiss and maybe to whisper nothings to each other. And that image hurt him a thousand times more than the kisses he had seen two days ago, as if his chest had a thick glass that the first time had only been cracked but that now had been blown into a thousand pieces; Pieces that had scattered inside him, sinking painful stings throughout his entire being.

But soon the familiar wave of jealous hatred extended through him, drowning briefly the broken pieces. And even though his eyes were ice blue, he saw everything behind a red curtain. Granger was barely a blurred image that had moved apart from the dark spot that was Dewey, Draco couldn't distinguish her features, but he knew she was looking at him. That infuriated him even more, he wanted to sink his fingers into her tender throat and extinguish those hazel eyes forever, so she could never look at him like that. But he also wanted to kiss her, to hold her tightly in his arms and made her forget Dewey with his own kisses. Bend her, make her surrender until she could only think of him.

- Malfoy, I don't know if you've noticed, but you are disturbing.

The tone of superiority and irony with which Dewey addressed him, turned his fury into pure lava that ran burning through his veins, extending throughout his whole body. He watched him, thinking that an _Avada Kedavra_ was too quick and painless for what he wanted to do to him, but then he saw him approach Hermione and surround her waist protectively as her guardian, as her boyfriend. _As something he will never be. _

And that certainty dissolved his anger completely, like spirals of smoke are dragged by a strong and desolate wind. What hurt him more wasn't that she kissed someone else, but that he couldn't do it.

- I… - he stammered stupidly and the he saw Hermione. She observed him completely immobile with her mouth slightly opened in a surprised gesture, she looked at him as if she wanted to understand. And that scared him and at the same time he felt humiliated as he had never felt, just standing there like an imbecile in front of them.

Without saying anything, he turned around and ran from the room as though Lord Voldemort himself was in there. But it was different. In that situation he would feel fear, panic.

Now he felt that wherever he ran he could not free himself of his just discovered feelings. He could escape from Granger and Dewey; he could escape from everyone, but not from himself. He needed to do something, anything, to distract himself, to try to forget. It didn't matter what, but he must do something.

Without being conscious of what he was doing, he entered his Common Room and didn't stop even though some people called him. He reached his bedroom and kicked his black trunk which opened immediately revealing the objects inside it. He search through many artifacts he had bought at Borgin&Burkes, old parchments, dark books and broken quills, and at last, at the bottom of the trunk, he found his Nimbus 2001 covered by a fabric of black velvet. He uncovered it roughly and grabbing it, he left his room without locking the door. He crossed the Common Room once more, unaware of the astonished looks and gossiping that he caused and went through the dungeons that would take him to the Hall. He strode through the main doors without stopping and walked through the grounds until he reached the quidditch field.

He needed to fly; high enough so that Hogwarts and everything it stood for was just a very little, insignificant spot and fast enough that every thought would disappear. Kicking the ground with force, he rose quickly through the air. He rose at full speed for a minute or so, but it seemed an hour to him, a slow and painful hour. He turned around and descended into a nose-dive a few miles, trying unsuccessfully to forget everything that had happened, to erase from his mind what he had seen, to take out of his heart what he had felt.

He flew for a couple of minutes, rising, descending, making violent turns in the air, but nothing could free him for more than a few seconds. He ascended vertically at a speed that made the skin of his face start to stretch, his hair agitated violently and the robes were attached to his body as if they were a second skin, but not even this worked. He finally stopped, suspended in the air and rubbed his forehead with force, as if like this he could be able to control his thoughts. He slipped his hands to his eyelids, and closed them. Then he felt it. There was something wet in the corner of his eyes.

Impassively he felt the humidity with his fingertips and discovered that he was crying, more precisely, that a couple of tears had escaped his eyes without his conscience or permission. Without a lot of conviction, he said to himself that his eyes had been irritated by the force of the wind. It was impossible. He had never cried for anyone but him. And he would never do it, especially not for Hermione Granger.

He let out a heartrending scream into the air and threw himself nose diving, as if he was after a snitch. When he was about to crash into the ground, he raised the handle of the broom with all his strength, managing to raise a few inches. Then he landed and dismounted near the goal posts that keepers protect during matches.

Keepers.

Dewey was the keeper of Ravenclaw's team.

He gritted his teeth with rage and crushed the broom's handle. He cursed Dewey for existing, for choosing Granger, for daring to touch her. _Because he could do it._

He hated him; he hated him with all his soul, as much as he envied him…

In an outburst of fury, he reached one of the goal posts and beat it with the Nimbus. The goal post trembled slightly for a couple of seconds and the broomstick made a worrying 'crack' but Draco didn't hear it. In his mind, that post was Dewey and he could beat it, and unload all his frustration and desperation against it.

He raised the broomstick in the air and unloaded all of his strength again. This time the wood gave up and the broom cracked in two, but not even then did he stop. He moved and again he hit the post, again and again, letting out violent growls with every attack and crying furiously without noticing it, making the post tremble and surrounding it with wood splinters. He wasn't able to stop until his once lustrous and magnificent broomstick was reduced to a bunch of fragments and a 10 inch broom.

Then he felt exhausted and let himself fall onto the ground, on his knees, with what was left of his broomstick under his hand. Like a downhearted warrior of old, leaned against his battle-worn sword. As someone who had lost that which he had been fighting for.

But he hadn't fought for anything. Yet.

A Malfoy had a crush on a mudblood.

He passed a hand roughly through his hair, messing it up and grabbed between his fingers a blonde lock in the back of his neck. He, having a crush on Granger…

It was against who he was but he couldn't deny it anymore. He had never felt so jealous, as a matter of fact, he had never felt jealous. And no one had ever entered his thoughts turning them into almost an obsession. Never, until then, had he had the desire to kiss someone until he lost all his senses. Neither had he desired with all his might that that someone should feel the same.

He closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose while he made a choice. He was a Malfoy and when a Malfoy wanted something, he just got it.

Now he had a crush on a vulgar mudblood, well then, the best way to avoid temptation,

was to fall in it…

* * *

_Finally!_

_Lol Malfoy can deny anymore his feelings. Fort he momento he is aware of having a crush with Hermione. I know this chapter is a little bit heavy, but it was necessary for the story. Now Malfoy is planning to fall into temptation, what is going to happen?_

_As always thank you for your support and for the reviews._

Love, **Dry**.

**Here it is! I'm so sorry for my BIG delay… but school was horrible! But now I have more free time so I'll try to update sooner. **

**HAPPY NEW YEAR for all of you!! And thank you for reading this story, I really appreciate it. This is my last 2009 update!! And my gift for all of you! Hope you'll like it =) **

**Big thanks to my beta-reader Mystic Tink!! Thanks to her now the story will be better. **

**With love, Lola. **


	18. The bite of a snake

**Chapter 18: The bite of a snake**

**Capitulo XVIII: La mordedura de una serpiente **

Hermione took off her shoes and sat down on her scarlet covered bed, with the Arithmancy book in her hands. After helping Ben in the library, she had moved to her room so she would be able to study a little, taking advantage of the fact that Parvati and Lavender were not there; it was just her and Crookshanks, resting over by the window.

-Hello Hermione –Parvati greeted as she entered the room, followed by her friend Lavender, or Ron's siamese, as everyone in Gryffindor called her.

-Umm… hello girls – she answered without moving her eyes from the book. Lavender smiled at her friend and motioned to her, and even though Parvati didn't seem convinced, both of them approached Hermione and sat down on each side of her. The girl barely noticed them until Lavender took the book from her hands, closed it and put it on the table.

-You study too much Hermione – said Lavender with and indulgent smile, as though she had just done her a favour – lately, we barely see you, right Vati?

Hermione watched Parvati, who now was Vati, and the girl nodded uncertainly.

-Well, that's not true at all –Hermione pointed out– you see me here all the time, in the Common Room, in class and at meals too.

Parvati let out a giggle that she quickly hid when she saw Lavender's glare. Then, with a sigh, she turned to Hermione.

-I see that we are not in a talking mood – she said reproachfully, and Hermione wondered why she used "we" when she clearly wanted to talk – but what Vati and I meant, was that apart from that, we barely see you. You are always wandering… with Ben – Lavender looked at her in a way that reminded Hermione of Rita Skeeter when she felt she was about to get the scoop, so she decided not to cooperate.

-Yes – she replied flatly.

-Well; and how is it going? – asked Lavender impatiently.

Hermione watched her for a while, thinking about how to answer her. Truly she wasn't sure. The last two weeks had been nice and calm thanks to Ben. Every day when they both had free hours, Ben went looking for her at the end of classes or in the halls, and they went for a walk around the grounds, to the lake or to the library. They talked a lot, studied together and once in a while, Ben kissed her. He never asked for explanations if one day she preferred to study alone, to be with her friends or if she had no time to see him, he never challenged her or yelled at her. In fact, Hermione had the feeling that sometimes he didn't even listen to what she was saying, as if he was too dazed watching her, to listen. Sometimes, she felt unsatisfied and frustrated because of the emptiness she felt deep in her heart and she would contradict him on purpose, hoping to get a reaction from him. But Ben never got angry or pissed, he never wanted to argue with her about anything. He was always understanding, even when Hermione, seized with nerves, was sharp or rude to him. He jest ended up annoying her further, although it was just because he made to much noise when turning the page.

Sometimes, it was nice that he was so kind and understanding with her, that he never demanded anything, but some other times it was just exasperating. It was frustrating to want to have an innocent argument to relieve tensions, as she did with Ron, and not be able to. But in fact, what she really liked were the discussions in which she had to use all her wit and shrewdness like she had to do with Malfoy…

And besides all that, theirs was not a passionate relationship, at least for Hermione. It was an innocent relationship, healthy and sweet, and even though she hadn't expected it… she wanted something more. She wanted to feel the fire that Malfoy had awoken in her… the fire that until then she didn't know she had hidden inside. It was all Malfoy's fault. Before he had kissed her, she had been unaware that she could feel that, so she hadn't yearned for it… but now everything was different.

As pleasant as Ben's kisses were, he couldn't make her feel with a thousand kisses what Malfoy did with one. Because of that, she was not sure if she was doing things right. On the one hand the emptiness and frustrated yearning made her bitter, but on the other hand, it had been a long time since she had something stable and serene in her life, something she had longed for before, but now found... a little bit… boring. There were no news from Lord Voldemort, the magic world was calm, Hogwarts was anything but normal and… Draco Malfoy had stopped bothering her.

In fact, since the day that he surprised her in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with Ben, he had taken a new attitude that she couldn't understand and that puzzled her much more than anything that he had done before. He no longer meddled with her and to be honest not with Harry or Ron either, but perhaps most surprisingly of all; not even with Dewey. When he saw her, he ignored her completely; without even a glare and he had stopped going to the library as well. And for Hermione, she didn't know what to say. It could be thought that he was ignoring her, but she felt it wasn't like that. She could feel his eyes on her all the time, even before looking at him to be sure and when she caught him looking, he didn't look away. Strangest of all was the way he looked at her; It was not superiority, neither disgust nor dislike.

More like he was contemplating her, he was looking at her without rest as if he was hoping to find an answer. Some other times, there was a translucent shine in his eyes that made him look thoughtful, as if planning and thinking carefully about something. But Hermione saw something else in his eyes that she couldn't define and that scared her the most. He had never looked at her that way, but she knew other people had. There was something in his eyes that she could not decipher.

-Mione? Are you there?

Lavender's voice brought her out of her thoughts and also appalled her… Mione? Why had she the habit of giving pet names to everyone?

-Yes I'm here – she answered angrily – I was just thinking…

-About Ben? – asked Lavender with a radiant smile – I understand you – she patted her arm – it happened to me too when I first started dating Won-Won, in fact, it still happens… I get absentminded thinking of him…

Hermione forced a smile although she felt uncomfortable, and judging by Parvati's, so was she.

-You look good together – pushed Lavender.

Hermione looked at her, trying to stay calm. She knew Lavender was expecting some kind of confession of love confession from her, but she was not that kind of girl, as much as Parvati, and most of all, Lavender thought it was unbearable.

-Well, we are – she answered dryly, picking up her book and continuing to read from where she had left off before Lavender's interruption. The latter watched Parvati, pointed to Hermione and then to her temple as if to declare the girl was crazy and sighing, went to her bed.

***

Draco raised his gaze from his plate full of ribs and potatoes when he saw his family´s owl flying between a hundred birds with a package hanging

below it. It let it fall gently on the table where luckily there was no clutter and then disappeared. Without picking up the package, Draco had already recognized it.

-A broom? – asked a surprised Pansy while the platinum blonde opened the package, reveling a new and shiny broom, with black handle. At the top of it you could read, in silver letters _"Nimbus 2006"._

-What happened to your Nimbus 2001? – asked Zabini suspiciously.

Draco shrugged and watched him coldly. Lately, Zabini was asking a lot of questions and he had even dared to contradict him. He knew that since that Defense Against the Dark Arts class when he had yelled at him that Granger was his, he mistrusted him and was keeping an eye on him, trying to find out what he was into. Draco didn´t care, because it didn´t matter how many clues he gave, Zabini could never be able to imagine that he had a crush on a mudblood, on _that _mudblood in particular.

-I decided to change it – he answered, and he could feel Pansy watching him out of the corner of her eyes, worried.

She too had noticed the changes that had happened to him, and she didn´t know how to react. He ignored her more than usual, he gotangry if she asked a question like; what was he thinking when she noticed that he was distracted and he rejected any attempt at interaction between them. It seemed that he had lost all interest in her, and Pansy didn´t know what to do to get it back. She had been searching for any clues that he had been having an affair with Emergande Borgin, Lavinia Burke or Lorraine Belford again, but she had found that he was barely in touch with them.

Pansy hated them but she wasn´t especially worried. She knew she couldn't demand anything from Draco and even though she hated that he could have something to do with another girl, she had no right to complain. If she wanted to have something from him, she should be silent and available; it was always the same thing. But Pansy comforted herself thinking that no matter how many "affairs" he had, he always came back to her sooner or later, and that made her feel special and aboveanyone else. That´s why she couldn´t handle not knowing against who or what she was fighting this time.

At the Gryffindor table, Hermione Granger stood up and left the hall quickly and she seemed nervous. She was alone.

Whithout another word, Draco stood up with his new broom in hand and went out behind her. He knew Pansy, Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle would think he was going to take the broom to the dungeons and if not, he didn´t care. He didn´t want to waste the opportunity to meet Granger alone. An opportunity that for the last two and a half weeks he hadn't been able to find because of stupid Dewey spending all of his free time following her, _with her._

Without being aware of it, he increased the pressure around the broom and left the hall quickly. He saw Hermione climbing the stairs on the left, probably heading to her tower, and silently he followed her. When he reached the middle of the stairs he stopped, took out his wand and conjured a non-verbal spell to send his broom to the dungeons. Then, Draco continued to follow the Gryffindor' steps. He waited for her to turn right so they would be away from prying eyes and he could make his presence known to her. When Hermione turned to him, she half-opened her lips in surprise and twisted the sleeves of her robes nervously.

-Malfoy… - she murmured – what do you want?

Draco didn´t answer, he just inclined his head and shrugged lightly. Hermioen waited in the tense silence for a few seconds, but, realizing that the Slytherin wasn´t going to answer, she decided to leave.

-Well – she said, and turned around to leave. But she had not taken a step when she felt the snake's arm grabbing her wrist and turning her fiercely. They were very close, their robes touching and Malfoy's hand bringing her to him. She had to pull her head back to watch him and she felt a shudder inside her when she saw those icy eyes fixed on her, with a dangerous glint.

The air was thick and it was difficult to breathe; she could hear their breathing and her heart's hammering, and pressing her lips together she prayed that he couldn't feel it.

-Tell me Hermione…-he whispered slowly, his voice sounding hoarse – do you think of me when Dewey kisses you?

Hermione watched him in surprise, the Slytherin's left hand burning warmth on her skin. When Ben held her hand, she felt nothing special. But she didn't think of Malfoy when he kissed her… well at least not consciously. That truth made her angry and curse herself for the hundredth time, because she had fallen for Draco Malfoy, and she hadn't made any progress in getting him out of her head though she was with someone else.

-Let me go – she demanded while struggling to get free.

-You don't answer Granger? – asked Draco smirking, without loosening his grip – are you afraid?

-If you don't answer my questions, neither will I – replied the girl trying unsuccessfully to release herself from his grasp.

-You disappoint me bookworm, it must be the first time that someone asks you something and you don't dare to answer – he sneered.

-It's because it's the first time someone has asked something rather stupid – she retaliated.

Draco tightened his hold of the girl's wrist, she stopped her attempts to escape and concentrated her efforts on not groaning. When the Slytherin looked at her, he saw nothing and heard nothing, which made him angrier.

-I'll tell you what I think Granger – he murmured coldly – I think it was me you were talking of being in love with in that letter for Krum, not that stupid Dewey, as much as you try to convince people with that happy, clingy thing of yours – he spit with a sneer.

-And what I think Malfoy – she answered, raising her chin – is that all of this seems to matter a lot to you.

-Don't be silly Granger – Draco raised an eyebrow with superiority – I'm just curious… - he added in a threatening tone and Hermione realized with alarm that his eyes were shining aggressively. His body language had changed; first he had just imposed himself, now he was getting nearer.

A pale and long hand slipped around her back reaching her hip, making her hair stand on end. Without her realizing it, the Slytherin's face was very close to hers, and when she felt Malfoy's gaze on her lips, they started to burn, getting tender with expectation and desire.

-You said you wouldn't kiss me again Granger – he mumbled, so close to her mouth that the girl's lips tingled and she licked them nervously. Draco followed the swift caress of the girls tongue, wetting her lower lip – but, what if I'm the one who kisses you, what will you do?

Many things crossed her mind before their mouths touched. She couldn't kiss him, she had sworn that she would never do it again, that she wasn't interested in him, but when Draco covered her with his mouth, she surrendered completely to the caress with an anxiety she had never imagined.

Ben. There was Ben. She was with Ben. She couldn´t do this to him. But her mind worked slowly, connecting her thoughts with lazily, until the extinguished by the strength of her feelings. Draco tilted his head to hers and deepened the kiss, bringing her closer to him. Hermione grabbed his robes, to maintain her balance, because she was feeling dizzy, everything around her moved and also inside her.

Draco knew she was losing control, he could feel it in her mouth, as if the girl was drinking him in, absorbing him. His mind was unable to form any coherent thoughts, only to feel the sensations, but he still had some sense. And he must end that kiss soon, or he was not going to be able to do it.

Slowly he separated from the girl´s mouth and though he knew he must put distance between them, he couldn´t resist the temptation of kissing the delicate skin of her neck. He felt the girl's pulse in her throat and he kissed her just there, and then, he slid his lips to the union between her neck and shoulder. Hermione groaned with pleasure and her fingers contorted against the robes of the Slytherin when he bit her neck.

The girl slowly realized that he had separated from her and that he was watching her deeply, with his eyes half-closed and shining.

-No one forgets the bite of a snake… continue with your show with Dewey, we both know to whom you belong Granger – sneered the blonde. He watched her briefly and then left, confident and arrogant, as always.

* * *

**I'm so sorry that I was so late! Hope you enjoyed the chapter. **

**Thanks to my beta Mystik! Love you girl!**

**Let me know what you think! Review!**

**Kisses,**

**Lola ^^**


	19. The Scrabs Finder

**Chapter XIX****: The Scrabs Finder**

**Capitulo XIX: El Revelador de Scrabs **

Hermione stood still in the empty hallway for a long time after Draco Malfoy had disappeared, but she could feel her lips and neck burning in passion. She still felt Malfoy's mouth on hers, his lips on her throat, his teeth sinking into her neck, his tongue caressing her skin. Never in her life had she felt this way: her body was buzzing, her blood seemed to be boiling in her veins, dense and hot, and she felt dazzled.

Why didn't she felt a tiny bit of this when she kissed Ben? Why could Draco Malfoy could affect her like this?

Only he was able to smother her logic, her reason, her conscience like that. When he let her go she was again in control of her thoughts, but while he was touching her, everything else stopped existing or being important.

She felt her eyes getting wet when she understood the repercussions of what they had done. She had cheated on Ben, with Malfoy.

It was true that he had been the one to kiss her, but Hermione was not a hypocrite, nor was she stupid enough to deny that she hadn't wanted and yearned for it, and she had answered in heart and soul. What would she do now? She had to be honest with Ben, even though it would end with their relationship, the only thing that mattered was to not hurt him. Tears escaped her eyes when she realized she was a traitor, that she had betrayed him in such a despicable way. He had always been nice and sweet with her; he treated her like a queen, better than anyone. He cared for her, he looked after her, he understood her and he loved her. And how did she thank him? By kissing another man in the shadows. She felt dirty and false, dreadful, unworthy of anyone's love and of being a Gryffindor. All because of him, why? Why did she have to love him back?

She twisted her hands, nervously trying, with little success, to hold back the tears. It had been a while since she cried and the last time she had done it because of Malfoy, but now she cried for herself and for Ben: for the pity and disgust she felt for herself.

-Hermione?

A soft and dreamy voice echoed in the empty corridor, Luna Lovegood stood at the end of it with the last Quibbler edition in one hand and a strange rectangular, violet coloured artifact in the other. When Hermione heard her voice she felt a shiver running through her body and rushed to dry her tears.

Luna approached her and Hermione could se her big blue eyes completely open, hooded by a worried frown.

-Hermione, what's wrong? – Asked the blonde affectionately – why are you crying?

-No, I'm not crying… - whispered Hermione, frantically wiping her tears and trying to hide her face behind her bushy hair.

-Have you spat up the maroon zarabrander you swallowed? – Luna seemed quite concerned – I've heard it hurts a lot…

-No, it's not that… - Hermione watched Luna with teary eyes, she needed to talk to somebody or she would explode, she needed to unburden herself, she needed a hug – Oh, Luna – she moaned and threw her arms around the blonde – I'm a bad person…

Hermione clung to Luna as though she was a lifeline to salvation and even though the blonde seemed shocked at first, soon she began to patt her back with the violet artifact from the Quibbler.

-You are not a bad person, Hermione – she whispered softly – you are my only friend.

Hermione pulled away from Luna to look her in the face, her eyes shining because of her tears.

-Really? – she asked in a small whimper.

-It's true – assured Luna – Ginny is kind to me and Neville is too. Harry invited me to go to Slughorn's party with him last year – she thought for a moment – Ronald said I was a good commentator and Benjamin Dewey defended me when people were cruel to me, but they're not my friends. They're just nice because they pity me.

—Luna...

-And none of them believe me when I say that the aurors are implicated in the Roftang conspiracy… - Luna continued, distracted – not even when I said that Scrimgeour is a vampire. But well, not everyone is open minded, - she shrugged and looked at Hermione again – but you've always been nice to me and you care about me. Thanks to the schedule you made for me now I have better grades and the pumpikers are glad. Now I want to help you.

- I don't see how you can – murmured Hermione, more relaxed than before, Luna had made her smile with her theories and she felt much better, but still – no one can help me.

- Is it Benjamin?

- No… and yes. You see – Hermione was unsure whether or not she should but, she needed so badly to tell someone what was going on… - I like another boy and when I started dating Ben, I thought I could forget him, but I can't and I feel bad… I feel that I'm cheating on Ben…

- And what are you going to do?

- I'm going to talk to Ben and tell him how I feel. I can't be with him anymore, I don't want to hurt him even more.

- Benjamin knew there was someone else? – asked Luna seriously and Hermione was grateful that she didn't asked who this other boy was.

- Yes – she explained – I told him before we started dating and he said he didn't care.

- Then he will understand – assured the blonde, nodding fervently. It would've been more believable though if her radish earrings weren't bobbing between her messy blonde locks as she nodded. But even so, Hermione felt comforted.

- I hope so. I will go to talk to him… thanks Luna – Hermione smiled at her and turned around to go look for Ben.

- Wait a second – Luna rummaged in her pockets until she found a yellow phosphorus stone in the shape of a kidney which she handed to Hermione – it's a charm, it will protect you from the deep red zarabranders, I think you need it – explained Luna in response to Hermione's questioning look. She took it, feeling a little bit uncomfortable, but she managed a smile and after that she left through the corridors down which Malfoy had disappeared minutes before.

Luna stared at her in silence and let out a long sigh. She had seen Draco Malfoy leaving by the stairs that Hermione was now taking, looking upset but quite satisfied. Now the Ravenclaw knew why. Now she understood many, many things.

Hermione felt a lump in her throat while she was walking towards the quidditch field. Even though she was walking quite fast, very deep inside her, she didn't want to reach her destiny. She didn't want to reach Ben to tell him she had betrayed him and possibly used him. She couldn't bare the look of disappointment or disgust on his face. He was the only person who considered her special and she had behaved awfully to him.

She saw the players in their blue Ravenclaw robes, flying towards the changing room and she waited patiently until all of them had changed and left. Hermione recognized Terry Boot, who acknowledged her with a nod and then left, followed by other Ravenclaws.

She bit her lower lip but she was so anxious that she couldn't feel any pain at all. Finally, some minutes after the team had left the field, she saw Ben leaving with a notebook in his hand. Before Hermione could say a thing, he raised his head and smiled sweetly at her. Hermione felt a stab of guilt and pain, thinking that she would never see that smile again, at least not for her.

-Hello Hermione – he said walking toward her – I'm happy that you came, I was thinking about you.

She saw that his cheeks flushed as he approached her. She knew he was going to kiss her and she shouldn't let him because that would make things worse, but she neither moved nor responded to it. When Ben moved away, he watched her with his green eyes full of wonder.

-Are you all right? – he asked – you look so serious… and you are trembling…

-Ben… we need to talk – she said in a small voice. Ben dropped the notebook and extended his hands towards her, looking concerned. But Hermione didn't run to his arms, she moved backwards as her eyes filled with tears. Merlin, she hated herself even more, if that could be possible.

-Hermione… what's wrong? You are scaring me…

He looked at her with so much love, with worry painted in his sweet and childish face. She couldn't bear to imagine those green eyes full of hate, instead of the tenderness that she could see in them.

-Hermione… say something…

-Ben… I can't continue like this –she managed to say, her voice high pitched, she didn't want to open her mouth at all for fear of bursting in to tears.

-What do you mean? Are you feeling ok? – Ben approached slowly trying to touch her, but she backed away a few more steps and raised her hand to stop him.

-Ben… forgive me… - she begged, her eyes full of tears – but we can't continue seeing each other.

-No… you can't… no- it was Ben who moved away, he walked backwards as if someone had hit him.

-I told you there was someone else – she murmured, holding her hands around her throat, trying not to sob – and I can't forget him Ben… I've tried… I swear that I have… but… I just can't…

-But…- Ben approached her once more, as if now he had a reason to hold on her – I already knew it and I told you that I don't care… that I'll wait…

-I can't ask you to do that Ben, is not fair to you… it's as if I'm using you…

-Then use me Hermione!- he shouted grabbing her by her shoulders – I don't care! I want to be with you!

-Ben…

Hermione couldn't stand it any longer and she burst into tears. She thought Ben would feel disgusted, that he would hate her, that he wouldn't want to see her ever again… and instead of that, he said that he didn't care that she wanted someone else, that he didn't care that she used him while she was with him. She didn't deserve him and now she felt even more despicable. She leaned herself fully on Ben as she felt his arms strongly surround her, offering a comfort that she didn't feel worthy of, but which she couldn't deny. She needed it.

-Ben…- she cried with her face in his shoulder – maybe you don't care, but I do. You don't deserve this, I care for you enough and I don't want to do this to you… I can't Ben. No.

Ben didn't say a word but continued to hug her even stronger, until she calmed down and slowly she stopped sobbing and hiccupping. Then he let her go and look straight into her face, seriously. Not with a hard expression, but with that sweet look that he always had when he looked at her.

-If that's what you want Hermione, I won't insist – he said in a neutral tone – I understand your reasons but I don't share them and I will continue to wait for you to change your mind – when he saw Hermione opening her mouth to complain he added – I know you're going to tell me not to wait for you, but I don't care what you say, my heart will continue to wait.

And turning around, he picked up his notebook and left with his head deep in his shoulders. Hermione looked after him until he was nothing more that a blue spot approaching the castle. The she removed her gaze from him and focused it on the ground.

There was something down there that caught her attention. It was a piece of parchment that must've fallen from Ben's notebook. It was trapped under a piece of wood, moving with the wind. Hermione picked it up and read it, what she saw hurt even more that what had just happened. Ben had written two names in blue ink "Ben & Hermione" next to a date "14/o2/o6".

She read it many times until her eyes finally dried, then she made a ball of it and put it in her pocket. She raised her eyes and looked at Hogwarts, she didn't want to go back to her Common Room, she didn't want to find people and to have to answer questions with more lies.

She didn't want to speak. She didn't want anything. She just wanted to disappear.

In silence, she walked across the empty quidditch field. On the horizon, the sun was hiding between the blue, shadowy mountains.

**0000000**

Luna Lovegood intensely watched the fire in her Common Room through her Scrabs Finder. It seemed to be just a square piece of shiny violet fabric, but Luna firmly believed that it was a magical instrument to find Scrabs in the fireplace, small rodents that eat away the burning logs until the fire was completely gone. It was the gift in the last issue of the Quibbler.

-Loony, move off the couch, I want to sit there – said a bossy female voice. Luna slowly raised her blue eyes from the Scrabs Finder and fixed them on Skipper Fontaine, a girl from her year that she believed was bewitched by an Armpyrot and that's why she was so mean.

-Sorry Skipper – said Luna in a dreamy voice, focusing again on her Scrabs Finder – but I'm trying to find a Scrab.

-Scrab? – asked Skipper rudely – is that another of the imaginary creatures that your crazy father writes about?

-The Scrabs are not imaginary creatures – answered Luna sweetly, as if she was talking to a child – they are small rodents with big teeth that…

-Look Loony, I don't give a damn about what those scrobs are, but get out of my sight and out of _my _couch or…

-Or what Skipper? – asked a male voice that Luna recognized as Benjamin Dewey.

-Ah… well… I… I was asking Loony…- began Skipper in a less bossy way.

-I don't need you to explain Skipper, I heard it myself and I'm going to tell you three things: first of all, don't call her Loony again. Second, what you've done is not "asked" but demanded, and finally, that couch is not yours.

-You are right Ben – murmured the girl with her face red as a tomato – I… I have to go…

And she disappeared swiftly to the girls' dorms. Ben watched Luna with concern but she was still looking into the fireplace, absentminded. He smiled softly, thinking of the weird girl sitting in front of him, and he was surprised to find that he could smile, even though Hermione had just dumped him…

-You didn't have to defend me, Benjamin – spoke Luna, in her soft and dreamy voice – I know how things work. There are popular people that are born to order and to be admired and there are others, like me, that the first ones like to play with. It has always worked like that and I don't care.

Ben looked at her as if he was doing it for the first time. He had know Luna Lovegood for years but she had never before caught his attention for anything but her oddities. She always looked as if she was somewhere else and she talked about things that no one understood. She was alone almost the whole time and everyone liked to call her Loony Lovegood. Ben felt ashamed to admit that even people from her own house stole her stuff, hid it and then made fun of her. He never liked that, so he always stood up for her. But today it had felt quite good helping her.

-What are you doing Luna? – he asked looking at the strange instrument in her hands.

- I'm looking for Scrabs in the fireplace- she answered with one eye closed and the other wide open. Ben couldn't help smiling again at the sight of her face frowning in concentration and the radish earrings tingling in her ears – do you want to try?

Ben watched her for a full minute. The last thing he felt like doing was looking for whatever Scrabs where. He only wanted to lock himself up in his room and let the days and weeks pass by, until hopefully, Hermione came back to him. But then again he didn't want to be alone and he could not stand thinking of Hermione any more, he had done enough of that for the last three hours locked up in an empty classroom.

Perhaps, after all, looking for Scrabs wouldn't be a bad idea after all.

-Ok Luna, show me how – he asked as he sat next to her.

* * *

_Hey!_

_Yup, Hermione is crying again, she feels horrible about herself and decides to dump Ben. I love Ben, I think he is really sweet. Draco is making more appearances now..._

_Well, Hermione and Ben are no longer together, and Luna saw that there's something between Hermione and Draco, will she say something?_

_ I'm sorry it took me to long to long to update... but my beta was working on the chapters and it took me a while to finish the translation._

_I hope you'll leave me reviews and make me happy :) _

_XOXO_

_Lola_


	20. Mine

**Chapter 20: For me**

**Capitulo XX: Para mí (Editado)**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

Hermione sat on the deserted bleachers. She rested her feet in the empty seat in front of her and leaned on her back, _hugging_ herself trying to keep warm. She had left Hogwarts without her cloak and scarf and now the cold wind was freezing her_,_ though she didn't care.

In that very moment, she didn't care _abou_ anything to do with herself. Nothing in general. After hours of feeling guilty, _pitying_ and cursing her luck, her mind now was a little bit sedated. Maybe it was because of the cold, maybe because she was a bad person and bad people didn't have remorse. Maybe they didn't have feelings either.

She wasn't even able to cry; since Ben had left she hadn't shed a single tear. Her eyes stung, that was true, not because of tears but because they were dry. It seemed that now she was empty and she couldn't help to think that maybe she was insensitive too. It have been almost an hour since she had been looking at quidditch field without watching it, an hour since she had to deal with the cold without feeling it, that she breathed without wantingto.

And that's how Draco found her, paralyzed in her seat, with her arms folded in her chest; her eyes fixed in the nothing and her wild hair moving with the wind. The movement of her hair was the only thing that made her look alive, without it she would _like_ a statue. He approached her, thinking something sharp to mutter into her ear but when he saw her face all those thoughts vanished.

Her face looked as expressionless as a stone, white and with no doubt frozen, her eyes didn't glow and her lips were almost blue. She looked defenseless, abandoned, lost. And Draco discovered a new and uncomfortable sensation inside him, maybe something close to a protective instinct. Because, what else could he call his urgency to hug and comfort her?

Be careful, he said to herself. It's one thing to want her physically and another to get involved emotionally. Emotionally, he snorted disdainfully. He couldn't do that. He shouldn't do that. He didn't want to do that.

"What Granger? You got rid of that deaf idiot?" he asked cruelly, resting his hands on the seat next to hers and looking at the girl intently.

Hermione took a moment before looking at him, and when she did, it was as if she wasn't looking at all. She looked in his direction for a few seconds, with her pupils shining; then she returned her gaze to the field as if he didn't exist.

"I thought I heard him sobbing painfully in an empty corridor of Hogwarts," he continued with malice, his lips pursed in a devilish grin.

The girl looked at him slowly again but now she seemed to actually see him and her eyes sparkled briefly. She moved a stiff hand and without blinking she slapped the Slytherin with all her strength. He was unprepared so he lost his balance and had to hold tightly to the backseat not to fall. He looked at her with pure anger, his blonde bangs covering his eyes, but she was already on her feet and was looking at him with pure disgust.

"You're disgusting," she spat while looking at him as if it was the first time she did, as if what she saw make her want to throw up. "Don't you dare mock Ben, insult him or criticize him Malfoy. Because he is everything you're not, you're not even worth of saying his name."

Hermione watch him intently for a few seconds and then, sighing as if he wasn't worth it, she turned around and with a sure pace started to leave.

Draco was paralyzed for a moment, but then he stood up roughly, feeling humiliated and insulted. How _dare she_ slap him? To talk to him like that? How d_are she _compare him with Dewey and say he wasn't able to say his name?

"I'm not sure you think that Granger," he shouted mockingly so she could be able to hear him while he touched his sore cheek, "because we both know you love me not him."

The girl stopped right on her tracks and Malfoy was able to notice how she went rigid and _lifted_ up her face, she was still _facing_ backwards. Draco smiled inwardly, knowing that he had touched nerveand he wanted her to feel a little of the pain he felt when she insulted him.

"Yes, but I don't know why," she said in a dead voice. Then she continued her way down the stairs. Draco, growling, went behind her and grabbed her by the wrist. Hermione freed _herself_ from his grasp violently as if the mere touch of his skin was unbearable, but she turned to face him, with her chin up and a cold stare.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she spat. "Aren't you satisfied yet? You've ruined my relationship with Ben, you've destroyed my chance to be happy. Congratulations, you must feel proud of yourself," she said and mustered a grin worthy of a Malfoy. "I'm sure your father would be proud of you if he knew that you're able to ruin the life of a filthy Mudblood." She said those last words with a hatred that not even Malfoy was able to manage. "I know you love to show off but I'm not in the mood to bear your presence. I'm not crying today, I won't put my head down and don't say a word. At this moment I can assure you that I'm capable of anything, so if you value your life, you will disappear from my sight."

She stared at him with hatred, so he will see that she was talking seriously and then she continued her way out of there. Draco was paralyzed, he was still processing Hermione's words that stabbed him like knifes and he was afraid. He felt something deeper than fear.

He felt panic at the idea of _crossing the line_ and losing her definitely, without even having her. That thought scared him so intensely that he wasn't able to move for a couple of minutes but then he ran after her; she was already in the gardens on her way to the castle.

He nearly flew the stairs of the bleachers, and jumped till he reaches the damp grass and ran after her, fighting with the cool wind that seemed as an invisible obstacle between her and him.

Even though it was only seconds, Draco felt _it took him hours t_o get to her and spin her around.

"What the hell do you want?" she shrieked furiously. Her eyes were full of hate, her eyebrows raised in a threatening way and her lips in a tight line. "What the hell do you want from me?" she insisted with her balled fists, as if she was planning to punch him at any moment. "What's your problem with me? You neither want me with someone else, nor with yourself!"

"Hermione…" he started.

"Don't you dare use my name!" she shouted loudly. "I know you Malfoy, and I know you only use my name when you want something from me, tarnishing the name that people who love me use. And that's all I have left, the only thing you haven't stained." Her voice trembled and Draco found a breach in her rage.

"Why did you have to step into my life? I'm so so sick of this… I can't handle it anymore." Her lips trembled desperately. "It's been weeks since _I've not been myself for weeks,_I hide my feelings from my friends, I lie to my friends, I feel like a traitor, I'm desperate to pretend that I'm ok, _but I haven't felt like smiling, eating, studying for weeks…_ And all because of you Malfoy," she said bitterly and a pair of tears left her eyes. She closed her eyes trying to hold back tears but her lips let out a small sob. She couldn't handle it anymore. She had been empty of tears, now she felt full of them. "Why Malfoy?" she asked in a whisper and looked into his eyes. "Why did I had to fall in love with you?"

Draco could only watch her, trying to control the jolt he felt on his chest when she said those five words.

_She loved him._She had finally said it, admitted it. Wasn't the world wonderful all of a sudden? He felt overwhelmed, intoxicated with an amazing sensation, pure and primitive. Something he had never experienced before, but he liked without doubt.

Impulsively, he took the girl's face between his hands and brought her to him, into his mouth, crushing it with desire. He wanted to kiss her until she lost her mind, until he felt her yearning and her surrendering to his lips. He was so anxious that it took him a while to notice that she wasn't kissing him back as she had a couple of hours before. On the contrary, she was rigid, tense and pressing her lips tightly _together_ so he couldn't deepen the kiss, _and_she was fighting urgently to push him back. Draco was surprised: she had never been able to reject him. She had always surrendered, melted and broken with him. What was wrong now?

Hermione felt his hesitation and took advantage of it, pushing him far from her. Draco could almost hear how something broke when she pushed him and he was forced back to reality. Suddenly the air was cold and hostile and the pink light hurt his eyes instead of simulating a romantic scenario. The worst was that he had no clue of what was going on.

"Have you listened to a word of what I've said Malfoy?" she squeaked heatedly.

"But what…" he began confused.

"Do you think you can fix everything with a kiss?" she shouted. She was furious as hell. H_ad he not_ listened to a word of what she just said and he didn't care, but he treated her like she was any other girl. He considered her so weak, so easily manipulated to use a kiss to content her. After all he had done did he truly believed that she would forgive him with just a kiss? Did he have no respect for her at all?

Draco watched her, perplexed, for a while, and then he got pissed. He had had enough for the day. She had beaten him, insulted him and shouted at him until she could no more, now she rejected him. Who the hell did she think she was?

"What's with all this Granger?" he spat. "Now you try to pretend you are worthy, moral and noble? It's a little bit late for that, don't you think? I've felt you shudder in pleasure in my arms and answer me back… how can I say it?" he mocked. "Rather...enthusiastically!"

Draco enjoyed how she tightened her lips and blushed intensely. He took advantage of her distraction to get a little closer, invading her personal space on purpose but without touching her at all. He grinned and fixed his gaze on her, without blinking. When he spoke his voice was as soft as velvet.

"You're not exactly a chaste and pure girl, Hermione.

She blushed deeper but raised her chin arrogantly"

"And you admitted that you love me," he added, satisfied. He had reminded her that she was _his._And that she had said it without wanitng to, making him feel more powerful.

"Yes," she answered flippantly, "but that doesn't mean that I want to be with you, Malfoy."

Hermione saw how Draco's eyes widened, showing their icy color. It was obvious that he hadn't considered that possibility.

The girl felt that for the first time since she knew him that she was in control of the situation, and she had to admit she felt powerful, dominant; it was a nice feeling. At least when the person you were fighting was Draco Malfoy himself.

"And as a matter of fact, Draco…" She said his name with the same tone he used when he called her Hermione, savoring it and tasting the power the name itself conceded, "I don't want to be with you.

"You can't…" he stammered."

She laughed cruelly at the Slytherin and Draco felt how it was to be humiliated.

"Of course I can, Malfoy," she said with all the self confidence that he was no longer feeling. And smiling proudly, she turned around and left him there.

Draco's first impulse was to follow her, but that would just humiliate him more. He watched her shrink into the distance and spat on the grass with all of his rage.

Let her leave, he said to himself, for now he will let her think she had won. But the victory wouldn't last long, he assured _himself,_ cursing her.

"You will be mine Hermione Granger, you will be," he swore.

* * *

_So, what do you think?_

_The truth is that Hermione is really pissed, and if Draco wants her he'll have to fight._

_I really want to thank everyone who's still reading this story, and the ones that put it on alert list. THANKS so much! Because of you I feel excited about translating! Hope you'll take the time to leave me a review, that will make me very happy._

_Special thanks to my new beta _whatabeautifulness _for helping me! _Mystic Tink _I will always be grateful for all your help and support! _

_XOXO_

_Lola :) _


End file.
